Hurry, come quick and take a long look
At the zany oodles of pets in this book!
Seuss fans of the world, it is high time
to let these animals teach you some rhyme.

Written in '60 by our dear old friend Seuss,
One Fish Two Fish has rhymes on the loose.
A popular book at schools and at home,
It's been parodied plenty in TV and tomes.

But there's more to this book than fish and word play
There's a lesson, too, to brighten your day.
You'll meet two children (who shall be unnamed)
For whom each day is fun, and never the same.

First they meet fish of different sizes and hue,
but soon they'll discover a new cast and crew.
There's a Zans and a Yop, a Gox and a Wump
And then there's Ned, the nasty old grump.

He'll say that his bed is just way too small
He's so busy griping, he'll surely miss all
the fun to be had, with the Yink and the Nook,
and all the other Seuss-folk in this book.

It's about diversity, about loving the strange,
being game for new things and embracing change.
The pictures, too, are Seuss classics to boot
Full of odd creatures, with details minute.

So this is no book for just kids and small tots
The doctor's prescribed a pill full of thoughts.
It will get you a'rhyming and soon you will find
This silly, odd book will stick fast in your mind!

For those weary of the inane repetition of today's tween pop star lyrics (Baby, baby, baby, oh, baby, baby, baby, oh! Baby, baby… Sorry. We'll stop.),here is the book for you (and your little ones). Presenting rhyming lines more charming than grating, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is a delightful book full of wordplay and wonder. Flipping through the book with a child will provide an easy introduction to spotting opposites and giggling at goofy characters, among other delights.

See, according to the story, "funny things are everywhere." And a Seuss book is no exception. But you knew that already. Each character in this book is wackily different from all the ones that come before. Whether tall or small, thin or fat, each creature is observed and appreciated by the two children in the story—no judgment here.

The children approach their new friends and pets with a sense of joy, accepting all the creatures for their differences and not despite them. After a few read-throughs of One Fish Two Fish, your little guy or gal will be well on their way to having some serious Seussian pride in their quirks and oddities.

But wait, 'rents. There's more. The book also tickles the imagination with the zany miscellany of mischievous creatures. From very tall Zans (who, as everyone knows, opens cans) to the tiny hopping Yop, the book is filled with classic Seuss illustrations from the dusty corners of one very creative brain. The fun, easy-to-remember rhymes and the introduction to a menagerie of illustrated characters will keep everyone entertained and imaginations sparking—even yours, grown-ups.

Plus, if your little one is struggling with that poetry stuff that they teach in school (they start 'em early these days), then Seuss will teach the tyke all he needs to know about rhyme. Shakespeare? As if. Dickinson? Please. Seuss is the man who is gutsy enough to rhyme the word "fish" with... the word "fish." If you are searching for the simplest and most satisfying-to-read-aloud form of poetry, then you have found it in One Fish Two Fish.

With plenty of bright colors and easy to repeat rhymes, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is the kind of book that makes reading just plain fun. And isn't that the point? To read a book to your kids that will make them want to, you know, read?

Why Your Kids Should Care

In Shmoop's case, it was a three-toed sloth. Boy, did we want one of those. We tried—for weeks, months, even years—to convince Mama Shmoop that it would make the perfect pet. They're cuddly, kind, and they sleep all the time. No muss, no fuss, no mess.

But Mama Shmoop wasn't havin' it. Some nonsense about customs forms. We got a dog instead. Which was fine. Great, even. But that dog was no three-toed sloth. So you know what we did? We did what all folks should do in times of trial: we turned to Seuss for solace.

If your kiddos have been harassing you for a hippo or bothering you for a baboon, send 'em here—to One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. In this book, the two children have such an impressive motley crew of pets that a three-toed sloth looks downright tame in comparison. (So, Mama Shmoop, where's our sloth?)

From ceiling-high Zans to a Gox that boxes (far more dangerous than your usual cat or dog) the odd creatures in Seuss's book are fun to look at and even more fun to imagine. It's like scratching that exotic pet itch without the clean-up. Sure, your young'uns are definitely gonna want a Ying by the end of this thing, but Yings don't actually exist, so problem solved.