Today is March 2nd and the good Dr.’s birthday, so of course I had to make a Dr. Seuss selection. Today is also Read Across America Day, and Teaching Authors has a fantastic post about Dr. Seuss and how to celebrate. Fox in Socks doesn’t seem to get the same kind of love as Seuss’ other books, but it is definitely one of my favorites just because it is SO FUN to read aloud.
Written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
Random House, 1965
Suitable for: Ages 3 and up
Themes/Topics: Tongue twisters, Rhyme, Humor, Silliness
Opening and brief synopsis: “This Fox is a tricky fox. He’ll try to get your tongue in trouble.” Dr. Seuss gives fair warning to anyone brave enough to read along with the Fox in Socks, who likes to play tongue-twisting games with his friend Mr. Knox.
Activities: Just trying to read it out loud without making any mistakes is a great activity! It would pair well with other tongue twister books. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Eric Van Raepenbusch’s fantastic post on his blog, Happy Birthday Author, with amazing ideas for celebrating Seuss in general.
Why I Like This Book: Talk about a book that’s fun to read over and over! That’s because you can seldom read it perfectly, so it becomes a challenge. And the rhyme is mesmerizing for kids.
Finally, check out this video of a woman speed reading Fox in Socks. It is unbelievable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EP1ZrAv8A4
For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books!
Amazing! I wonder how many times she had to practice this? Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Yay for Seuss! Fabulous video. Glad you mentioned Eric – he’s got a linky with 80+ Seuss activities over there!
Excellent choice for today Julie. How fun it landed on a PPBF
Phew, that woman has a nimble mouth! I love Fox in Socks. Good choice, Julie!
Wow! I’m with Iza – that woman’s mouth is nimble! Fox In Sox is such fun with all those tongue twisters. What a great choice for Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Thanks for adding this one to our list, Julie!
I love Fox in Socks! Happy Birthday Theodore!
Perfect pick for Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Yay Seuss!!!!!!!!!!!! This is just the thing for today. We love tongue twisters. I’m glad his birthday is on a PPBF. Yay!
That video is something else! Super Seuss choice to celebrate today!
Wow! Amazing! I can NOT read that fast. That is TRUE speed reading, and OUT LOUD, at that!
However, I CAN count to 100 in 20 seconds! Try it; I guarantee it’s FAST!
Fox In Socks is especially special to me. When I was a child, my father used to read it to me over and over and over. At first I picked the book for him to read each night because it was fun seeing him trip over all the tongue twisters – but in short time, he was able to read it all, smoothly and quickly. Thanks for making me smile with a very fond memory (my dad passed away in 1991). xo
Too fun! Thanks for the wild ride!
Julie — I just got home from reading Fox in Socks to my daughter’s first grade class. It was so fun! They were really into the “beetle battle” part of the book. Great choice and Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss. This is such a fun day!
Fox in Sox is one of my favorites, because I like tongue twisters. Such a fun choice. Heard on TV this morning that 28 publishers turned Dr. Seuss down because they didn’t think kids would like his style. LOL. Great choice today!
I had forgotten how long this book is! My toddler couldn’t sit through the whole thing, but my husband and I enjoyed the rapid tongue-twister challenges!
Now that was funny! How can anyone read that quickly. I’m going to have to celebrate belated by reading several of his books next week since they are all checked out at the library!
Oh geez…my post is full of typos. I need to proof or possibly get new glasses :•)
Fox in Sox – my absolute favorite Dr. Seuss. The beagle, noodle, paddle part is so fun to say out loud.
I love this tongue twister – If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
Happy birthday Dr. Seuss!
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
I loved Dr. Seuss as a child! I remember reading “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back” over and over. He was a master of words…
Isn’t it awesome how many great books Dr. Seuss wrote?!? This is another great one! The video was AWESOME!
I love Fox in Socks. Great choice for such a special day in the world of picture books!
A2ZMommy and What’s In Between
Fox in Sox is my favorite Dr. Seuss to read! And my kids get quite a giggle out of it. Great choice, Julie!
That video is unbelievable! I love Fox in Socks, too, but I cannot read it anywhere near as well as the young woman on that stage.
Sounds like a parent and child reading challenge. It may be above Mom’s age level. We’ll check it out and see.
OMG, I laughed my head off watching that video. Wow! can she go! … I remember this book from years ago, must look it up again…. great choice Julie. Going to come back and listen to her read it again…… so funny.
This sounds like such fun! And it brought back a great memory of one of my mother’s favorite tongue-twisters. She’d tell the story of a little boy who was sent to the store to get a pound of sugar for his mother. His mother said, “Be sure to say ‘sir’!” So when the little boy got to the store, he said, “Please sir will sir you sir send sir mother sir one sir pound sir of sir sugar sir, and sir she sir will sir pay sir you sir when sir she sir comes sir this sir way sir.”
Phew. That’s even harder to type than it is to say. (Of course, I’ve been practicing saying it for a lifetime! Try it…)
Awesome addition to PPBF on Dr. Seuss’ birthday! That video was incredible. Wow! It made me giggle!
Thanks for adding this classic to the list.
WOW. LOVING THE VIDEO! Thanks for sharing!
Great choice for a PPBF that falls out on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, Julie!
The video was too funny!
I’m thinking about you and your trip…we will miss you and will eagerly await your tales of Italy and all.