Bartholomew and the Oobleck
ISBN 0-394-80075-3 | | |
Preceded by | Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose | |
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Followed by | If I Ran the Zoo |
Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a 1949 children's book by
Geisel said he drew inspiration for the book when he was stationed in
The book was named a
Plot
The book opens with an
The next morning, the Oobleck starts falling from the sky. When the King sees it, he is overjoyed. He declares the day a holiday and orders Bartholomew to tell the Royal
In the throne room, the king, now covered in Oobleck, orders Bartholomew to summon the magicians to stop the storm of gooey Oobleck, but Bartholomew delivers the bad news that "their cave on Mountain Neeka-tave is buried deep in Oobleck". The king gets the idea to use the magicians' magic words "Shuffle Duffle Muzzle Muff" (but there are more unknown words) to stop the Oobleck, but he cannot remember the whole incantation, and, in any case, he is not a magician. A much-more confident Bartholomew scolds the king for ignoring him in favor of the falling Oobleck and making such a foolish wish, and he tells him to apologize for the mess his wish has caused. The king is reluctant at first, but belts out a tearful apology after Bartholomew tells him he's "no sort of king at all" if he and his subjects are drowning in Oobleck and he won't own up to his mistakes. Immediately after the king says those simple words in tears and sobs, "I'm Sorry", the Oobleck storm disappears and the sun melts away all the green slime. The king rings the bell proclaiming the day a holiday, honored not to Oobleck, but honored to rain, sun, fog, and snow—the four things that have always come down from the sky. After that, Bartholomew is hailed a hero for saving the kingdom, with the help of the king.
A version recorded by the actor
Influence
A non-Newtonian fluid was named after the substance in this Dr. Seuss book.[4][5]
The web-series RWBY has a character called Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck, who is named after the substance in this book.
References
- ^ Thomas Fensch. The Man Who Was Dr. Seuss. New Century Books, 2001. 95.
- ISBN 9780838935651.
- ^ Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present American Library Association
- ^ Oobleck: The Dr. Seuss Science Experiment
- ^ Outrageous Ooze