Hooray For Diffendoofer Day

This is an excerpt from a Dr. Seuss book. "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day". It was published after he died, actually Jack Prelutsky a poet and Lane Smith the illustrator helped finish a book he had originally started. I feel in love with this little book. As a homeschool mom I'm always wondering are they getting it? Are they were they should be accidemically? This book imbraces different approaches and I found that so encouraging.

I want to keep this little book. It's funny when I get a great book from the library I love that other children have checked it out and for a few weeks it was their favorite too. I just want to keep it for myself and buy it from the library. That is why used book sells are so great. I don't think the library encourages keeping them.

Mr. Lowe appeared and howled,
"Attention, girls and boys!"

He began to fuss and fidget,
Scratch and mutter, sneeze and coough.
He shook his head so hard, we thought
His eyebrows would come off.
He wrung his hands, he cleared his throat,
He shed a single tear,
Then sobbed, "I've something to announce,
And that is why I'm here.

"All schools for miles and miles around
Must take a special test,
To see who's learning such and such-
To see which school's the best.
If our small school does not do well,
Then it will be torn down,
And you will have to go to school
In dreary Flobbertown."

"Not Flobbertown!" we shouted,
And shuddered at the name,
For everyone in Flobbertown
Does everything the same.

It's miserable in Flobbertown,
They dress in just one style.
They sing one song, they never dance,
They march in single file.
They do not have a playground,
and they do not have a park.
Their lunches have no taste at all,
Their dogs are scared to bark.

Miss Bonkers rose. "Don't fret!" she said.
"You've learned the things you need
To pass that test and many more-
I'm certain you'll succeed.
We've taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white make pink,
and something else that matters more-
We've taught you how to think."

"I hope you're right," sighed Mr. Lowe.
He shed another tear.
The test is in ten minutes,
And you're taking it right here."

We sat in shock and disbelief.
"Oh no!" we moaned. "Oh no!"
We were even more unhappy
Than unhappy Mr. Lowe.
But then the test was handed out.
"Yahoo!" we yelled. "Yahoo!"
For it was filled with all the things
That we all knew we knew.

That is just a little excerpt from Dr. Suess "Hooray for Diffendoofer
Day"