Dr. Seuss (1904–1991)

Core Vocabulary List for Ten Apples Up On Top

• Apple
• Top
• Up
• Down
• Jump
• Hop
• Run
• Look
• Fun
• Stop
• Dog
• Lion
• Tiger
• Fall

Key Letter Sounds:

• A: apple, and, at
• T: top, ten, tiger
• U: up
• D: dog, down
• R: run
• H: hop
• F: fall, fun
• L: lion, look
• S: stop

This book is excellent for reinforcing prepositions (“up,” “on,” “down”) and action words (“run,” “jump,” “hop”) while making phonics fun with its rhythmic text and repetitive sounds.… (more)

As much as I adore the whimsy and wonder of a classic story-poem by Dr. Seuss, Geisel’s efforts writing as Theo LeSieg (and illustrated by other artists) always leave me feeling underwhelmed. This book for early (early) readers is no different, even though it focuses on a subject which should be an easily amusing topic for the usually pun- and humour-filled author - teeth! Instead of getting silly rhymes (I can’t even begin to imagine that Seuss didn’t have a million made-up words ready to go) and classic Seussical caricatures of creatures with enlarged chompers, we get a lacklustre moral tale about how it’s good to have teeth and warning children not bite their dentists… Well, that whole thematic pretense doesn’t seem Seussical at all, even though we all know he’s right. Can’t we get a fun story that makes us laugh, instead of lecturing about not eating junk food? In fact, that table full of cake is the most memorable scene from the entire book, so maybe Seuss’ editorial team needs to rethink these collaborations before they give impressionable young readers the wrong idea! As for me, I’ll take the advice of my pal the Lorax and save the trees, but I think I’ll continue to keep a slice of cake (or five!) in the cupboard. Though I guess I can also refrain from biting my dentist /rolls eyes… I doubt they taste very good anyways!… (more)