Module 2: And to Think That I saw It on Mulberry Street

Book Cover:

Book Summary: A young boy walks home from school building an extravagant report of imaginary sights to tell his father.

APA Reference: 

Seuss, D. (1964). And to think that i saw it on mulberry street. New York: Random House             Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: I am excited by this book because I can envision my own son walking home from school with a wild imagination of the wonderful sights and sounds that he sees and hears.  This is one of the few Dr. Seuss books I have found that features real animals and objects like elephants, horses, and sleds.  This is eloquently juxtaposed to the fact that these realistic sights are actually in the boys imagination while most stories by this author feature the exact opposite.  We are accustomed to Dr. Seuss's portrayal of fantastic imaginary animals described as if they were real.  This being his first published book he may have been making a statement about himself.  Why not describe a common event with fantasy animals and events?

The story begins and ends with the boy's father's discouragement of his son's wild imagination.  The motivation of the father could certainly be well intended.  I can imagine the father wants to make sure his son pays close attention to his surroundings and walks safely.  However, this book was originally written in 1937 and renewed in 1964.  Children walking to and from school safely was likely a common event in 1937.  Whether the father's true intention is to impede imagination or to ground his son in reality is left unanswered, but he certainly urges his son to remain open to the excitements of reality. Ultimately, it is clear the boy sees a horse and wagon traveling down the road as a lackluster event and his father may simply want him to really appreciate what he is actually seeing. 

Professional Review: "A child’s imagination is an amazing phenomenon, and Dr. Seuss perfectly captured the active fantasy of a young mind. This book’s simplicity and hand-sketched illustrations reveals the genius that made Dr. Seuss a household name. His illustrations also hint at some of his subsequent work, giving us a fun look back in history. Geisel’s rhyming verse is brilliant and one that makes for an exciting read-aloud story or a soothing bedtime read, as it did with my daughter dozens of times. And, something that Geisel does so well, is weave a subtle message in his verse. In this case, we learn that Marco is maturing because he can enjoy a splendid fantasy, and then come back to reality and relate to authority figures, without dampening his imaginative spirit."

DeSimone , A. (n.d.). And to think that i saw it on mulberry street. Retrieved from                             http://www.timetoplaymag.com/articles/263/and-to-think-that-i-saw-it-on-                             mulberry-street/

Library Use: The book has a recurring trend which builds throughout the story.  Starting with a horse and wagon the boy goes back and forth making each of the elements grow bigger and better with a rhyme.  The library activity is for each child to think of a logical pair (dog & cat, milk & cookies, shoes & socks) and explore rhyming with each into bigger and better pairs.