Book Review: The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Silhouettes of all different types of shapes

Cons: Basically just a list of things

The Bottom Line:
While not his best book

Dr. Seuss still makes shape books

Into something fun

Shape Book Dr. Seuss Style

Shape books are usually fairly similar and predictable.  You’ve got something that represents a circle or a square or a triangle.  That’s not the case when Dr. Seuss does one.  In fact, you won’t find any of those traditional shapes in The Shape of Me and Other Stuff.

The book is two kids talking about how oddly different things are shaped.  As they name each item, you see a silhouette of that item on the page as well.  Really, there’s not much more to the book than that.

And that’s my biggest issue with it.  There’s no real story or plot to the book.  Some pages are just a list of items.  Yes, there is some rhythm and rhyme to it to make it more interesting, but it’s not super catchy or interesting.  Considering I’ve read some of his other books that were lists but were more interesting, I do consider that a flaw as an adult.  As a child, I remember enjoying this book, so obviously I wasn’t too bothered by it.  And I think the opinion of a child counts more for a picture book.

I already mentioned that the illustrations for this one are silhouettes.  Personally, I think that’s brilliant.  Since the book is talking about shapes, you can really focus on them and think about how something is shaped and how that sets it apart from everything else.

This is a Beginner Book, so it’s designed for early readers.  While they might need help with some words, anyone who has mastered the basic letters and sounds should do just fine with it.

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff doesn’t quite hit the level of Dr. Seuss classic, but just about any of his books is worth owning.  You and your child will enjoy it for many reads.