Brand New Dr. Seuss Book Is Out!

I just picked up the new book by Dr. Seuss called "What Pet Should I Get?" It's a really fun book, though smaller than the previous 'LOST' books of Dr. Seuss. This one contains only a single story. It has some interesting historical information at the end of the book however.

The publishers have estimated that this story and it's artwork where done by Dr. Seuss between 1958 and 1962. They also think it could be the precursor to One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish because the same two children appear in both books.

This new book will be featured in my new elementary school reading assembly, and I think it will also find it's way into a revamped version of one of my daycare shows.

As I mentioned above, it's a fun book so run out and get a copy!

The Seuss Tour Continues

When my tour of Seuss programs begins in February, I visit mainly elementary schools. But as the month progresses and we move into March and April, I also go to daycares and eventually libraries. There are some subtle differences in the way the show is presented in these different venues. At elementary schools, there is a larger emphasis put into the educational content. The daycare version the emphasis is on fun. The library edition is a blend of both education and fun.

Some of the books are covered in detail. For example, during the Bippilo Seed routine, I find a metal box, just like the duck from the story finds. The box has gold writing on it, just like in the story. And inside the box is a Bippilo Seed. So I am basically acting out the entire first page of the book during the routine. And it continues from there.

Sometimes books and characters are mentioned but they don't get the same degree of detail. For example, I mentioned Fox In Sox and Yertle the Turtle, but they don't have their own separate routines like The Bippilo Seed, Gustav The Goldfish, The Sneetches and others have.

The photos on this page are from a daycare and the ages in the audience were from 3 to school age, and the show was enjoyed by all (teachers included).

More Seuss Adventures

Last Monday, March 2, was Dr. Seuss's birthday and Read Across America Day. An elementary school in Ashburn VA had booked me almost a year in advance for that date. As fate would have it, it snowed the day before and school was cancelled for March 2nd.

Thankfully, we rescheduled for Monday March 9th.  I was able to present three assemblies at the school all on the books and stories of Dr. Seuss. The photo at the top of the page gives you an idea of what my stage set-up looks like. My two tables are draped with custom made Dr. Seuss covers. This is actually the set-up from a couple years ago. I still use the custom draped table covers, but there are more props involved in the show.

New this year has been the story, Horton and the Kwuggerbug. Everyone loves Horton, but until
recently, I only thought there were two Horton stories, Horton Hatches the Egg and Horton Hears a Who. Turns out, that in between those two books was Horton and the Kwuggerbug, but it never got published into bookform. So a few months ago, this story and a few other 'lost' Seuss stories made their way into a book by the same title.

The image to the right is a painting of a Beezlenut Tree, the tree which is the focus of the story about Horton and this shifty Kwuggerbug. This is actually the conclusion of the routine. It starts with the image of only the tree and then the bug and Horton's trunk appear on the picture. I really like sharing new stories with audiences who think they know everything there is to know about Dr. Seuss. I always have people (students, teachers, and other adults) come up to me and tell me they learned something new about Dr. Seuss in the course of my show.

Horton and the Kwuggerbug Book also contains a number of 'Lost Stories'. One is about the boy Marco, who often appears in Dr. Seuss stories. AND this book has the very first GRINCH story, except, this original Grinch is far far different from the one who appeared in How The Grinch Stole Christmas. 

Last year, I featured The Sneetches story along with other stories in my show. The Sneetches is a great story but I found it to be rather difficult to effectively illustrate with magic. I like to tell the stories from the books using magic. I had created several different Sneetch routines over the years, but none made it into my show because I didn't feel it was quite right. Then suddenly, I stumbled upon the solution. It was so great because the idea allowed me to share the basic story with the kids and have fun with the magic at the same time. I was quite proud of the outcome.

I have been asked if I will do another new Reading Assembly with a Seuss theme next year? I can't answer the question at the moment. I had originally planned on stopping with 2015. But I've since found a couple more stories that I know will translate wonderfully into magic routines and allow me to share with kids and teachers. For me the real reason behind this is to encourage kids to read. By sharing the stories of Dr. Seuss and other fun facts about the stories it helps to peak the interests of the kids and they then want to find the books and read them for themselves. The key to reading when you're young is to be interested in the material. IF you are not interested, no amount of forcing will turn a kid into a reader. Trust me, I know, I was one of those kids with terrible reading comprehension. I could read the same paragraph a dozen times and not recall what I read. Then one day I found magic and reading about magicians changed the way I thought about reading. Now I love to read books of all kinds. And because I missed so many of the great Dr. Seuss stories as a kid, I can now enjoy them fully and help others to find enjoyment in them as well.

What I Learned From Dr. Seuss

For the past 15+ years I've been presenting a Dr. Seuss Magic Show at daycares, libraries, and elementary schools. It is the single most popular educational show I have. The story about it's origins is one I've told friends before, but I'll briefly share it with you.

I received a call one day from a daycare asking if I did any Dr. Seuss magic tricks. I told them that I did not, but I could put something together if they wanted to book a show. I told them I'd include one trick related to Dr. Seuss. The trick I came up with was simple and based on a classic kidshow magic trick. I think the original went by PetShop Pranks, or Barnyard Follies or something like that. It was a Supreme Magic item. I simply used Dr. Seuss images in place of the animals. Easy as 1-2-3.

What I didn't expect was when I arrived and everyone, kids, teachers, and parents were all dolled up in Cat in the Hat Hats and various other costumes related to Dr. Seuss. Most were home made items, but many of the hats looked store bought. It was then that I found out how popular the Doctor still was and that his birthday was actually 'Read Across America Day'.

The following year, I added more material to the show until I came up with an entire show of Dr. Seuss routines. But again, they were more just magic tricks with a Dr. Seuss covering. It wasn't until I brought the show to elementary schools that all that changed. I began to delve deeper into the stories. I researched how the stories came about, the origins, the stories related to other stories and so forth. It was then that the show really became an educational show. And it was then that I really learned how to make a really strong themed show with a great message.

Prior to the elementary school version, I was merely taking standard magic tricks and repackaging them with Dr. Seuss pictures and so forth. But now, I was using magic to tell many of the stories. Not every story is easy to illustrate with magic. And some took many years before I hit on the right formula. An example was last years The Sneetches routine. I worked on getting that book into my show for more than 5 years but I just never had the right routine. Finally, last year I stumbled upon a brilliant concept for the routine which perfectly illustrated what was happening in the story. It was a hit.

The show today is a mixture of story based routines and some of the older magic with a Seuss theme. The difference between now and then, even the older routines are educational because I share many of the important aspects of the stories and characters while I do the magic.

The photo at the top of the page is a routine called 'Gustav The Goldfish' which can be found in the book, The Bippilo Seed and Other Lost Stories of Dr. Seuss. In my routine the entire story is acted out in a similar way as it appears in the story. When the routine is over, I share how this story never made it into print while Dr. Seuss was alive. The reason was because Dr. Seuss's wife Helen Palmer asked him if she could have the story for her own, and she changed it a bit, added different illustrations and renamed the book 'A Fish Out Of Water'. Many people were familiar with that story and not Gustav, but now they learned where it came from.

Dr. Seuss took simple and sometimes silly stories and rhyming words to convey often complex subjects. But no matter the message, his stories were always fun to read which in turn helped young readers to build up their reading skills and helped them to find joy in reading. 
And because of his example I've really learned how to take any magic trick and turn it into a themed presentation and not simply for kids. Messages such as motivation, success, time management, and so forth can be taught by using magic as the vehicle to get the message across. One of my Seuss programs even has a lesson in perseverance and this directly relates to Theo Geisel's own life.


Thank you so much Mr. Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss)!

2015 is Taking Off Like A Rocket

I must ask this question, Have you received my email newsletter yet? IF yes, GREAT! If no, then you've got to sign up. I sent out my first online newsletter today which contained info on the new Super Hero Show, News on the new Dr. Seuss Show and information on Summer Shows! It also had some additional information about my recent public appearances and something really HUGE that is in the works.

The image above is a screen shot of the newsletter, well as much as would fit into the screen. It's actually a bit longer than that. Here is how the newsletter works. For all my current customers and those who sign up for the newsletter, you will get one email per week. The newsletter will probably be the only one with images and such. The other emails will contain stories, sales and marketing ideas and general motivational stuff. Let's face it, no matter what job you have, you are in sales. Moms and Dads are sales people, they have to sell their kids on what to eat, the right way to behave, what to watch and NOT watch on TV and so forth. Yes it's called parenting, but it's also a form of sales.

Daycare Directors are sales people, they've got to sell new prospects on using their center. They've got to sell their employees on new programs and new procedures. School Teachers are sales people. You have got to be able to deliver your lessons in such a way that the students understand them, comprehend them and can retain them. You are selling math, science, art, history, reading and so forth. WE ARE ALL SALES PEOPLE in one way or another.

I'm going to show you some easy ways to do it. Ways that may only benefit you personally and other ways that my help you in your work. You might be wondering, what does it cost? My newsletter is free. The great thing about email is you can choose to read it or not. But I'll tell you this, I'll also be sharing some magic and the occasional magic lesson. That's right, I'll teach YOU a trick that you can share with friends and family. Don't worry, it won't be so difficult that you won't be able to do it. I promise it will be fun to learn and fun to try out on your friends. I probably will only teach a trick one time per month.

Why? I'll be honest, many of you are not only customers but long time friends. I like to share stuff with my friends. And if I can pick up a few new friends along the way and in turn help or teach you something, then it's a win win for everyone. This is only for existing customers and anyone else who signs up for my newsletter. Next week I have a 'super hero' story to share that I think you'll really enjoy. Where to sign up? Just go to my website www.DeanAlanMagic.com and about half way down you'll see a box for the sign up. 

I've been working on this for more than a year and have had several false starts, but it looks like it's all working now. I'm so excited for 2015 and all the cool things that are in store!!!!!

My Recollections of Past Seuss Shows

As you may know, I present School Assemblies with the theme of Reading. My most popular shows are about the Books and Characters of Dr. Seuss. I have presented quite a few different versions of the show over the years. But I remember the very first. It happened by accident. Let me share the story with you...

I received a call from a school asking if I would come and do some magic for their Dr. Seuss Party.

They asked if I did anything relating to Seuss and I said no, but I would try and come up with something. So, naturally, I decided to create a trick with Dr. Seuss as the theme. It wasn't much, mainly because I didn't understand the magnitude of Dr. Seuss's popularity. When I arrived at the school, all the teachers wore big Cat in the Hat Hats. The students, some not all, were costumed as their favorite characters. It was an eye opening experience. I should point out that the LOVED my show and were so appreciative of the Seuss routine I included. Well, you don't have to tell me twice...I went home and began work right then on an ALL Seuss Show. Within a few days I had it and tested the water at a couple other schools. Before you know it, word was out and I was doing the show all over.

I remember wanting to come up with a second version of the show. All I was able to come up with was one additional routine. I was not happy about that either. So I kept doing the old show with this one new routine, again, everyone was thrilled and happy....everyone but me. Because I was unable to develop more material, I decided to scrap the show. But my clients wouldn't let me. They kept asking for it. Eventually, I decided to up my game and really infuse the show with a lot more content, more education, more trivia. When I chose this path, I suddenly found that I was able to develop new routines. So I began offering a new show each year. Sometimes I would repeat material every couple years but overall the majority of the show would be new.

Here is a list of the books or stories I covered in my years of doing Dr. Seuss themed programs.

• 1 Fish 2 Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
• The Cat In the Hat
• Horton Hears a Who
• Green Eggs and Ham 
• The Bippilo Seed 
• Gustov the Goldfish 
• IF I Ran The Zoo 
• If I Ran the Circus 
• I Can Read With My Eyes Shut 
• The Sneetches 
• The 500 Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins 
• McElligot's Pool 
• Yertle the Turtle
• Daisy Head Mayzie 
• Scrambled Eggs Super
• The Lorax
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas
• The Cat In the Hat Returns

and there are others that I don't recall right now. But those stories, plus facts about Dr. Seuss's life and other educational tidbits became over 6 hours of Dr. Seuss subject matter. Each year, I tell myself, NO MORE. And each year I change my mind and create a NEW show. I was pretty certain after the 2013-14 school year that I was done making new shows. I had decided at the time that I had accumulated enough material, so I could recycle it for all the students that had never seen it before. But apparently fate stepped in and here I am working, once again, on another new program. All new stories for me, which means all new magic routines, new props, new everything. It's one thing to read a story, it's something completely different to be able to turn that story into a magic routine. You see, most of the routines I have created actually TELL the story using magic. Finding the right mix of magic and story is not always easy. The Sneetches was a story I wanted to add for years but could never figure out how to tell the story with magic. I had a half dozen different ideas, but none of them were practical in my mind. So the story kept getting dropped.

In 2013, I finally hit upon the right mix of magic for The Sneetches. I figured out how to tell the story, in a condensed way with magic and audience volunteers. That routine became the opening routine of the 2013 show and it set the tone for the rest of the show. I must admit it was one of the best Dr. Seuss routines I ever created. 

Another routine which became a favorite, not only to me but to audiences was Gustov The Goldfish. After reading the story, I knew instantly how to tell this with magic. I was able to recreate almost the entire story with a helper from the audience. The audiences loved the magic and the story. One of the reasons I chose Gustov is because I knew the back story. You see, Gustov the Goldfish never made it into book form, until around 2011 that is. It had appeared in a magazine years and years before and that was all. Actually, that was not all. You see, Dr. Seuss's first wife Helen, asked him if SHE could have the story. He agreed and she changed it a bit, had different illustrations added and changed the name of the story to A Fish Out Of Water. THIS book, was familiar to Teachers, but Gustov was not. So this was an instance where even the teachers learned something.

Being able to educate and inspire the students is only half the mission of these shows. The other half is to give content that the teachers will enjoy as well. I remember one Library Specialist contacting me and telling me she used a line from my show to encourage the students. It was when I talked about Dr. Seuss's attempts to get his first book published and how he was rejected, and rejected and rejected and rejected but didn't give up. I was so happy to know that this message continued to inspire long after I was gone.

Work has begun on the latest version of the show, this time called All You Need Is A Book! The show name comes from a quote by Dr. Seuss that goes like this, "You Can Find Magic Wherever You Look, Sit Back and Relax, All You Need Is A Book." I think I have the book selections fairly well narrowed down now, but that could still change before February. I am confident this years show will be the BEST ONE YET! And it may also be the last for me. Other areas of my career are pulling me and I may be heading in a new direction. I hope I'll still be able to do the reading programs, but if not, perhaps I will train someone new. 

What other directions? Well, there is a rumor I may have MY new book finished early next year. Promoting that book is going to become a full time job I think. It's not a children's book unfortunately, though I have a children's book written, but I need to get an illustrator. I guess no matter what direction I take, I'll still be involved with books in some fashion. 

HEY, IF YOU WANT To Book A Seuss Show for Your School, go to http://wizardofreading.com/dr-seuss-show/ 

 

Dr. Seuss Themed Reading Show for Elementary Schools

I have been presenting shows based on the books and characters of Dr. Seuss for ever ten years, close to 15 now. There were others who had a single Dr. Seuss routine in their shows, but I was doing a full show of ALL Seuss stories. It began at daycare centers and moved to elementary schools. To say it's been popular is an understatement.

Over the years I've developed hours upon hours of material on Dr. Seuss stories. Since I shifted to doing the show at elementary schools, I beefed up the educational content considerably and I brought out a new show each year. It's been very rewarding to share these stories with the students and give them a lot of background information on the stories as well. It peaks their interests to discover how and where many of these story ideas and characters came from. I've been told time and time again by school librarians that the books get totally wiped out after my assemblies.

This year, I'm doing another new show, The All You Need Is a Book! Show. The title actually comes from a quote by Dr. Seuss that goes like this, "“You Can Find Magic Wherever You Look, Sit Back and Relax, All You Need Is A Book”. Isn't that great?! I expect to fill all the dates for Feb/March/April with this new show. YOU can have it at your school too. I am mainly in Virginia, but will be traveling to North Carolina, Maryland,Tennesee and beyond. Distance isn't really an issue. If you are interested in scheduling a FANTASTIC show about the Books and characters of Dr. Seuss, you can find my contact information at my website www.WizardofReading.com

 

Here are just a few quotes from schools who have seen the show!

“The Wizard of Reading combined clever tricks and switcheroos to entertain our audience, at the same time giving lots of interesting information about Dr. Seuss and his stories.  We got great feedback from kids and parents.  It’s delightful.” Pat Gleason, ESOL Teacher, Keene Mill Elementary School, Springfield VA

“Thank you for presenting such a fun and inspirational program for our students.  They loved the magic, the audience participation and learning new facts about Dr. Seuss.  I have used your example about Dr. Seuss’ perseverance several times with my students.  What a great character trait to emphasize!  And those Dr. Seuss books flew off the library shelves the rest of the week!” Beth Yankey, Library Media Specialist, Loch Lomond Elementary, Manassas, VA

“The assemblies went great.  I have heard a lot of positives and the schedule went fine.  Thanks for all you did.  Hope to be able to bring you back next year” Olivia Eades Reed, Intervention Teacher, Broadus Wood Elementary, Earlysville, VA

“Your show was so entertaining and I loved the facts you shared with us about Dr. Seuss. Your sense of humor was perfect for our students and they had a wonderful evening with you” Claudia Easley, Reading Specialist, Carver Elementary

“Thanks so much for an excellent show (I’m still hearing positive comments!)” Cheryl Redman, Reading Coach, Norton Elementary, Norton, VA

“Thank you again for a fabulous show. Many children are still talking about it. You were awesome!” Christine Caravello-Goodman, Reading Specialist, Kempsville Meadows ES, VA Beach, VA

“We really enjoyed your show! I overheard children talking about Dr. Seuss and your show for several days. Several teachers commented on what a great show it was as well. The kids loved the magic tricks! I know it inspired many to read a Dr. Seuss book. Thanks again!” Elizabeth Massa, Reading Specialist, Alberta Smith Elementary, Midlothian, VA

“Thanks for the wonderful assembly. It was a great way to kick off ‘Read Across America Day’ and the children talked about it nonstop.” Carissa Stanziola, Reading Specialist, Rolling Ridge Elementary School, Sterling Virginia

“My head start class loved your show. It had special meaning with the Dr. Seuss twist. They came back to the classroom wiggling their fingers to make magic like you did. Thank you very much!” Tish Jarvis, Cameron Elementary Head Start