Thursday, January 28, 2010

A parcel of Seuss and fear of ducks


Almost a duck

I got a package in the mail at work today. It was the three Dr Seuss books I ordered from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. I had forgotten all about them. Yay. Getting a parcel in the mail is ace. Dr Seuss is ace.

The books are: You're Only Old Once: A Book for Obsolete Children, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day and McElligot's Pool.

I've just read You're Only Old Once and I got a feeling of deja vu when I read the bit about Dr Pollen, who tests people for their reaction to being stared at by geese...*thinking, thinking*...and then it hit me - Anatidaephobia! This is the (fictional) fear that "somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you", according to a Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson. (Well, I think he made it up - this is the first result that comes up when you Google it.)

I bought the books for my Seussian library from Amazon because I hadn't seen them in any shops and I was getting impatient. I've now got 40 Dr Seuss books. I'm not sure of the exact number there is to collect because I don't seem to be able to find two lists of titles that agree with each other. There's more than 60, I know that much. Getting there! (This is another goal on my 101/40 List.)

4 comments:

Dina Roberts said...

You have quite the Dr. Seuss collection! What's your favorite?

Anonymous said...

Have you read 'Dr Seuss and Mr Geisel'?

Jayne said...

Hi Dina. Oh, The Place You'll Go! is definitely my favourite. It's a kids' book and a self-help manual all in one.

Hey Dom. I haven't - yet.

Unknown said...

Can I also suggest A Fly Went By very funny - there is a line 'shame, shame, shame on you, cracks me up every time I think of it.