The Eye Book

by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg)
illustrated by Joe Mathieu

Children's book review by Steve Barancik

Ages 2-5

A book about seeing

Frankly, there isn't a lot that can be said about this simple, but flawlessly executed, Bright and Early book from Team Seuss.

A little boy and his bunny rabbit friend go around seeing things.

Our eyes see blue.
Our eyes see red.
They see a bird.
They see a bed.

You get the idea. Simple words presented with rhyme and rhythm and pictures offering plenty of clues to the text. The Seuss formula for learning to read!

The good Doctor (writing as Theo. LeSieg) wisely enlisted illustrator Joe Mathieu to accompany him on this one. Seuss's art, wonderful as it is, doesn't much stress the eyes. Mathieu's does. The little boy's blue eyes and the bunny rabbit's pink ones are huge, sweet and engaging. (See the cover.)

There's no story, just two friends observing and telling us what they observe.

Like rain and pie...
and dogs and airplanes in the sky!

(Okay, maybe not quite flawless. I would have put a comma after dogs. They're not in the sky.)

In addition to doing a lot of work for the Seuss team, Mathieu also illustrated a bunch of Sesame Street books. He certainly knows how to reach children with his art.

Seuss was no opthamologist, but The Eye Book makes him the doctor to see when it comes to early reading.

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