Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a book written and illustrated by children's author Dr. Seuss. It was first published by Random House on January 22, 1990. It was his last book to be published during his lifetime. The book concerns the journey of life and its challenges.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!
AuthorDr. Seuss
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
January 22, 1990
Media typePrint (Hardcover and paperback)
ISBN0-679-80527-3
OCLC20169007
[E] 20
LC ClassPZ8.3.G276 Og 1990
Preceded byI Am Not Going to Get Up Today! 
Followed byDaisy-Head Mayzie 

Though written in the style of classics such as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! has many specific characters including a narrator and the reader. A young boy, referred to simply as "you", initiates the action of the story. However, the presence of a main character helps readers to identify with the book. It is written in second person and uses future tense.

Plot

The story begins with the narrator, relating the decision of the unnamed protagonist (who represents the reader) to leave town. The protagonist travels through several geometrical and polychromatic landscapes and places, eventually encountering a place simply called "The Waiting Place", which is ominously addressed as being a place where everyone is always waiting for something to happen. As the protagonist continues to explore, spurred on by the thoughts of places he will visit and things he will discover, the book cheerfully concludes with an open end.

Reception

Upon its original release in 1990, Oh, the Places You'll Go! reached number one on The New York Times Best-Selling Fiction Hardcover list. That made Dr. Seuss one of the handful of authors to have number one Hardcover Fiction and Nonfiction books on the list; among them are John Steinbeck, Jimmy Buffett and Mitch Albom; his You're Only Old Once! hit number one on the Nonfiction list in 1986.

In the United States and Canada, Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a popular gift for students graduating from high school and college, spiking in sales every spring.[1] It reached number one on USA Today's Best Selling Book list in 1997, and reached #2 in 2015 and 2017.[2] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[3]

Film adaptation

In the early 1990s, producers Ben Myron & Roland Joffé, at Lightmotive with Tristar Pictures, were set to produce a film adaptation of the book with Seuss penning the screenplay.[4] A revised draft dated 8 May 1992 and penned by Richard LaGravenese was scripted, but the adaptation was never filmed.

References
  1. Jacqueline Blais; Carol Memmott; Bob Minzesheimer (2007-05-16). "Book buzz: Dave Barry really rocks". USA Today. USA Today. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  2. "Book Reviews and Best-Selling Books". USA Today. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  3. National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved 2012-08-22.
  4. Lawrence Van Gelder (1991-11-01). "At the Movies". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
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