THE CAT IN THE HAT

This literary children's classic The Cat in the Hat, although definitely a solid candidate for the Fantasy genre as well , it is the epitome of being a Poetry genre book. In this book Dr. Seuss creates a world where a talking cat in a hat can bring about fun and chaos for two children on a rainy day. This book full of phonemic rhyming words, rhythm, and primary-colored illustrations that are meant to engage the young beginning reading as they are pulled into Seuss's world of fantasy and fun. Moreover, it is wonderfully suited to grades Preschool - 2. Seuss's sketchy blank and white drawings bring a playful, cartoon-like feeling while his burst of primary colors, such as vivacious red and celestial blue, bring a grounded and attainable realism, too. In this book the author takes you on a literary rhyming adventure, while never leaving the home of the two young children. It beckons children of all ages to create their own fun and to be creative.  These two young children, in the story, are stuck inside on a rainy day with nothing to do. However, with the help of a whimsical cat in a hat and a little imagination of their own they find that anytime and any place can hold an adventure.

The Cat in the Hat Cartoon Movie based on the book

Discussion Questions:

- What do you think this story will be about?

- What word family do you see on the cover of this book?

- Have you ever been bored on a rainy day?

- What do you like to do when you cannot go outside and play?

- Do  you think the cat is right or the fish? Why?

- Is the cat a hero or a villain? Why do you think that?

- What was your favorite part of this book?

Motivational Activity:

Student's will talk review the idea of Word Families after reading the book and in specific the -at family. Then the children will be broken down into small groups and will be given a hat with a word family on it in the center of their group.  They will also be give a stack of word squares and will have to work together as a group to only place in the hat the squares that are part of that word family. Teacher will circulate the room checking the each hat and that group's progress to give instant feedback and correctives where needed. If there is additional time the teacher will blow a whistle and the groups will rotate their hats clockwise to get a new word family to work with.

If you like this Poetry book, here are some other titles you might enjoy:

*Horton Hears a Who! (1954) : Grades K-4

*Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories (1958) : Grades K-4

Resource:

Seuss, Dr. (1957).  The cat in the hat. New York, NY: Random House