children's book
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
Lane Smith
Walter Lane Smith III (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor. His well-known roles included newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bat ...
". The book is based on verses and sketches created by Seuss before his death in 1991, and was expanded to book length and completed by poet Prelutsky and illustrator Smith for publication in 1998.
Plot
The story surrounds the Diffendoofer School in the town of Dinkerville, which is well liked by its students, particularly the unnamed narrator, notably because of its many eccentric faculty members, especially Miss Bonkers, the narrator's teacher. However, the students must make a good grade on a
standardized test
A standardized test is a Test (assessment), test that is administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored ...
(which turns out in the end to be a revising test on multiple subjects they regularly learn) or Diffendoofer will be demolished and they will be sent to an adjacent school in Flobbertown, a place that requires uniforms to be worn and is incredibly dull.
Reception
Reviews for ''Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!'' were mixed, given the book's distinction from those written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss.
According to ''
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...
s Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, ''Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!'' "jumps off the page", and "the original talents of Prelutsky and Smith bring heunfinished Dr. Seuss story to life." Similarly, ''
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
'' referred to the "marriage of Seuss, Prelutsky, and Lane" as "magic". They called Prelutsky's contributions "delightfully obvious" while highlighting how he "blended whole slices of Seussian verse into his lines". They also praised Smith's "crazy, deliciously colored artwork". Menaldi-Scanlan further described "the bright, exuberant collage and oil illustrations" as "a combination of the familiar Seussian style and Smith's own".
Other reviewers were more critical of the work, especially given its connection to Dr. Seuss. According to ''
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
'''s Michael Cart, ''Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!'' includes "a little Seuss and a lot of Smith and Prelutsky." Similarly, ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' pointed out how "Dr. Seuss's name towers over the title on the jacket here, setting up readers to measure the book within ..against the late artist's classic work", which "is almost certain to disappoint". Cart explained, "The completed text, which adds a whimsical story that celebrates individuality, is more faithful to the Seussian spirit (and latter-day didacticism) than the collage pictures, which owe as much to ''
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' () is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. The quintessential work of early German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypno ...
'' as they do to ''
The Cat in the Hat
''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by American author Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie. The Cat shows up at the house ...
''." Cart also indicated that the "singsong text" included "often uninspired rhymes."