Everything is very direct, very clear, unambiguous and easily comprehended.īut then something strange happens around the half-way point of the book. Kids go on to learn being “well” is the opposite of being “sick” and that feet going up is the opposite of feet coming down. The message pretty quickly becomes clear that feet are not the central concern here, but that feet are engaged for the purpose of placing objects in direct opposition to each other. As the first few pages flip past, wet feet are juxtaposed with dry feet, front with back and slow with quick. The left foot of the illustrated character sits just above the text “Left foot” while beneath his right foot are the words “Right foot.” So far, so good: it looks like feet are going to be subject just as the title promised. The very opening page situates this concept through the mechanism of feet. The problem is that the subject being taught to young readers is not really feet, but the concept of opposites. One cannot honestly accuse the book of not delivering on its title. The problem with this particular tome is certainly not that feet are not present in great abundance. Thidwick turns out to have a big heart and Bartholomew Cubbins does through exactly 500 hats. Horton cannot be accused of neither hatching eggs nor hearing Whos. The Grinch does at least attempt to steal Christmas and there is a certain Cat who definitely looks stylish in his chapeau. Seuss canon, The Foot Book may well be the most misleading.

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The foot book by dr seuss