In a People House

The whole point of the Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners was to give young kids easy to read books where they would want to actually read them because they are funny books with easy words and clear pictures. "In a People House" is a book that combines easy to read rhymes with common household items. The idea is that a mouse shows Mr. Bird the inside of a "people house," where there are not only standard things like doors and ceiling but also more interesting objects like roller skates and doughtnuts. Written by Dr. Seuss under his Theo. LeSieg pseudonym, used when somebody else besides Theodore Geisel was doing the artwork, this book simply provides beginning readers with over 60 different nouns. Illustrated by Roy McKie, "In a People House" is intended to give kids the words to go with the objects they are likely to see around the house. The book is essentially a list, manipulated so that the rhyme works, so for the most part kids are going to find words like "pencil" and "toothbrush" next to drawings of the mouse or Mr. Bird with the object. This approach here is simple and effective. Since the objects you are likely to find "In a People House" have not changed all that significantly since this book was first published in 1972 it is still going to do the job it was created for three decades later. Young kids should be able to find the words in this book that go with the objects in their house, and being able to "look up" words in a book is a great skill for them to learn as well.

Theo LeSieg (also known as Dr. Seuss) produces a new word book sort of like Hop on Pop but with a continuing plot.A mouse wants to show a bird what a people house is like. The two animals scamper around the house with the mouse naming common household items. But eventually the mouse remembers that there is something else in a people house. People! The two animals return to the outdoors.Plenty of vocabulary words that children should be familiar with (although some may not be familiar with a telephone with a dial). This is great for helping children learn to read. The words are large and clear (not small and on a dark background like in some books), thus making it even easier to learn.

This is one of my favorite early childhood learning-to-read books. I giggled my way through it when I was a kid, and I loved reading it to my younger brother. I am surprised to see so many other reviewers unfavorably comparing "In a People House" to Dr. Seuss -- here's the truth: This book IS by Dr. Seuss. His real name is Theodore Seuss Geisel, and this book's author is...Theo. Lesieg. That would be Geisel spelled backwards. It's a pen name, get it? This book is meant for Dr. Seuss's youngest readers, which is why the pictures and text are so simple. It's fantastic, every child needs a copy by the age of 1 1/2, and I wish it were till in print.

This book was first bought at a thrift store for my husbands first daughter. They literally read the cover off this book. I later replaced it with a new one and now both my husband and I can recite the whole book without looking at the pages. The book has rhythm and rhyme. It is wonderful.

"In a People House" was my son's favorite book about 20 years ago, when we belonged to a book club and it was one that we received. We wore out the pages it was so well loved. The many household objects named in this book in rythmic fashion made it particularly interesting for young listeners. I always read it with great expression! I highly recommend this book for Mothers to read to their young children...they will love it!