I'm realizing that "half-baked theories" could also probably be called "things I believe to be true," which is slightly disturbing, given that there should be more than a whisper-thin divide between these two categories. But alas: I convince myself.
Anyway, I was talking with a very, very smart poet friend yesterday, and I found that he had never read Go, Dog, Go! Which was bad enough. What was worse was that I had to then try to explain the "plot" of Go, Dog, Go! (Note: the Wikipedia link above actually has a pretty awesome description of the book—pithy, accurate, and suitably awed.)
Anyway, I was struggling. "It's all these dogs, and they're different colors, and it's like, they're doing different things that are not necessarily connected…." And then I hit upon the closest literary equivalent: "It's a little like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish."
AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
OK, people. I don't like to get bossy here. I don't like to tell people what to think and what to believe. Except it came clear to me in a blinding flash—and yet is has always been clear. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is the best Seuss book there is. The. Best. Bar none. And if you haven't read it yet, or read it to your children yet, you should.
There are so many reasons this is true I have trouble listing them. Let's start with this:
Or maybe this.
Oh my god look at the water. Look at the fat fish's expression. And then there is the best thing in the whole world, the one that still haunts my imagination:
That last one comes from this site, which has a name you will not be comfortable with your child seeing. But Clark!
It's just the best book. There's the thing with the long hair. And the wet pet. And just…yeah.
Is it possible that any of you have other Dr. Seuss you love better than this? It doesn't seem so to me in my current state of mind. But…it's possible?
marcialerner.com 
Oh, I love One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Yes. But I am totally partial to Green Eggs and Ham. Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?
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But this one has a little star! And this one has a little car! Say, what a lot of fish there are!
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HA HA, I was going to use exactly Megsie’s words: “I am partial to Green Eggs and Ham”!!! And so I have. I also love Horton Hatches the Egg…..and Gertrude McFuzz….and Yertle the Turtle…..and also, the Spanish language versions of Seuss books are not to be missed if you have any students of Spanish in your house……
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Marcia, you continue to crack me up. I love many Seuss books, but I find that most people know The Grinch, so I like to use his story when I create models of tools that teachers can use with their students. It’s such a perfect story of how a character evolves, such a great message. But I also love the language in Green Eggs and Ham: so hilarious!
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I agree — it’s the best, followed by Hop on Pop. How weird and wonderful is Sad Dad?
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I think my favorite part of One Fish Two Fish is the spread where the good dr. asks if you’ve ever flown a kite in bed or walked with ten cats on your head–I laugh every time I read that part!
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I am a purist (and probably older than most of you) and loved the subversiveness of the Cat in the Hat and the Cat in the Hat Comes Back. In my day (said in an old crotchety voice) there weren’t any other books like those.
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