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There's a Wocket in My Pocket

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There's a Wocket in My Pocket is a short children's book by Dr. Seuss, published by Random House in 1974. It features a little boy talking about the strange creatures that live in his house, such as the yeps on the steps, the nooth grush on his toothbrush, the wasket in his basket, the zamp in a lamp, the yottle in the bottle, and the Nureau in the bureau.[1]

There's a Wocket in My Pocket
AuthorDr. Seuss
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
1974 (renewed in 2002)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
Preceded byThe Shape of Me and Other Stuff 
Followed byGreat Day for Up! 

Summary

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A boy walks through his house, speculating that different creatures live behind each object. He describes creatures that he likes, such as the Yot in the pot, the Gable on the table, and the Ghair under the chair. He also describes creatures that he doesn't like, such as the Yottle in the bottle, the Bofa on the sofa, and the Nooth Grush on his tooth brush. He thinks of many more creatures whom he considers his friends, and he expresses gratitude for the home he lives in.

Writing

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There's a Wocket in my Pocket is one of the Dr. Seuss books that depends on nonce words. Seuss constructed each rhyme to pair one English word and one nonce word.[2] The nonce words are contrasted from the English words with a substitution of the initial phoneme.[3] The book's exploration of the house teaches readers about the names for common household objects.[4] The creatures in the book are reminiscent of those in other Dr. Seuss books.[5]

The Vug under the rug was originally intended to be the Uug under the rug, but secretary Claudia Prescott misread the U as a V when transcribing the book, and Seuss decided that he preferred her version.[6][7]

Along with Great Day for Up!, There's a Wocket in My Pocket was the final book that Seuss wrote for the Beginner Books series before he reduced his involvement with the imprint, handing over editorial control to Walter Retan.[6]

Analysis and reception

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Jonathan Cott cited There's a Wocket in My Pocket as an example of Seuss's ability to produce "remarkable animal creations".[8] A reviewer for the School Library Journal said that the book is "strained in its silliness".[5] Robyn Ramer of Common Sense Media gave There's a Wocket In My Pocket four out of five stars, praising the illustrations for their color palette and for their use as visual aids when reading more difficult words.[9]

There is no coherent plot in There's a Wocket on My Pocket. Instead, its main appeal is its use of language and its poetic style. Paul Di Filippo compared Seuss's work in this regard favorably to that of James Joyce, arguing that Seuss is able to use this technique without alienating readers.[10] Elizabeth B. Moje and Woan-Ru Shyu described it as one of Seuss's "most language-conscious works", saying that it allowed for children to engage with language using humor.[11]

Professor of early learning Barbara A. Wasik likened the book's vocabulary to a child's experience learning new words. When adults read There's a Wocket in My Pocket, they encounter words they have never seen before and must use the illustrations to determine what they mean.[12]

The book's ending demonstrates a common Dr. Seuss theme of independence and self-confidence, as the boy says he is happy with his situation regardless of whether the reader believes him or not.[13]

Legacy

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There's a Wocket In My Pocket was adapted as a read-and-learn mobile app by Oceanhouse Media, including a digital copy of the book and ten educational minigames.[14] It has been speculated that the real estate website Zillow derived its name from the book's Zillow on the pillow, but the company has denied this.[7] In 2018, rapper Win Nevaluze rapped the words of There's A Wocket In My Pocket to the beat of the Migos song "Walk It Talk It", causing it to become an internet hit.[15][16][17]

The sludge metal band Noothgrush took their name from a creature in found in the book.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Fischler, Marcelle S. (March 7, 2004). "SEUSSENTENNIAL; Stories of Sneetch, Lessons in Lorax". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  2. ^ MacDonald, Ruth K. (1988). Dr. Seuss. Twayne Publishers. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8057-7524-2.
  3. ^ Yopp, Hallie Kay (1995). "A Test for Assessing Phonemic Awareness in Young Children". The Reading Teacher. 49 (1): 20–29. doi:10.1598/RT.49.1.3. ISSN 0034-0561. JSTOR 20201554.
  4. ^ Ford, Carin T. (2003). Dr. Seuss: Best-loved Author. Enslow Publishers. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-7660-2106-8.
  5. ^ a b "Dr. Seuss' There's a Wocket in My Pocket!". School Library Journal. 21 (4): 49. December 1974. ISSN 0362-8930.
  6. ^ a b Jones, Brian Jay (2020). Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination. Penguin Publishing Group. pp. 368–369. ISBN 978-1-5247-4279-9.
  7. ^ a b Keyes, Ralph (2021). The Hidden History of Coined Words. Oxford University Press. p. 112. ISBN 9780197573921.
  8. ^ Cott, Jonathan (2005). "The Good Dr. Seuss". In Fensch, Thomas (ed.). Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss: Essays on the Writings and Life of Theodor Geisel. McFarland, Incorporated Publishers. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-7864-2447-4.
  9. ^ Raymer, Robyn. "Parents' Guide to There's a Wocket in My Pocket". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  10. ^ Filippo, Paul Di (2006). Plumage from Pegasus. Cosmos Books. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-8095-5609-0.
  11. ^ Moje, Elizabeth B.; Shyu, Woan-Ru (2005). "Oh, the Places You've Taken Us: The Reading Teacher's Tribute to Dr. Seuss". In Fensch, Thomas (ed.). Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss: Essays on the Writings and Life of Theodor Geisel. McFarland, Incorporated Publishers. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-7864-2447-4.
  12. ^ Wasik, Barbara A. (2006). "Building VOCABULARY One Word at a Time". YC Young Children. 61 (6): 70–78. ISSN 1538-6619. JSTOR 42729508.
  13. ^ Einhorn, Lois (2012). Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?: Discovering the Mystery and Magic of an Icon. Robert D. Reed Publishers. pp. 100, 113. ISBN 978-1-934759-58-5.
  14. ^ "There's a Wocket in my Pocket - Read & Learn by Dr. Seuss". Children's Technology Review. 26 (5): 9. May 2018. ISSN 1555-242X.
  15. ^ "Some Fucking Genius Combined Dr. Seuss and Migos and It's Fire". 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  16. ^ Schweitzer, Kate (9 April 2018). "You'll Never Read This Dr. Seuss Classic the Same After Hearing 1 Rapper's Version". POPSUGAR Moms. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  17. ^ Gallucci, Nicole (2 April 2018). "Who knew a Dr. Seuss and Migos collab was exactly what the world needed?". Mashable. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  18. ^ https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Noothgrush/9453
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