#277 of 1001 · May 4, 2021

The comfort of normalcy can scarcely be overstated, but there’s a fine line between normalcy and monotony. The tedium of repetition can make people long for surprise, excitement, variety—although a drastic change might have unforeseen and devastating consequences. Dr. Seuss follows this idea to its logical conclusion in Bartholomew and the Oobleck. A direct sequel to The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, the story opens with young Bartholomew in service as a page boy to King Derwin, who has developed an all-consuming vexation with the cyclical nature of his kingdom’s weather: spring rain, summer sun, autumn fog, winter snow. The exasperated king calls on his magicians to create a new form of precipitation. In response, the mystical guild concocts a viscous green substance called oobleck. At first, the goo descends from the clouds in tiny specks, but it quickly begins hailing down in droplets, then large pellets, and finally enormous blobs. Wherever it lands, the oobleck mires objects, animals, and people in a terrifying, inescapable sludge. With the entire kingdom facing ruin, Bartholomew must devise a plan to end the cataclysmic storm. In keeping with the previous volume, Seuss writes in eloquent, engaging prose and restricts his color palette to black and white—save for the sinister green of the oobleck itself. #drseuss #king #castle #weather #slime #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks