My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, Reviewed by Jenna Schlobohm

Dr. Seuss’ My Many Colored Days is a colorful picture book that explores the different kinds of moods we have and the feelings that are linked with these moods. This book goes through a variety of colors and associates each color to a different mood with an action or animal. In the end Dr. Seuss reminds the reader that not everyday has a designated color or mood, but it is ok to have what he calls a “mixed up” day where we don’t know “who or what” we are. The reader learns that it is the combination of all the moods and feelings that make us who we are.
The illustrations in the book are so much fun. They don’t follow the typical Dr. Seuss illustrations. The short biography on the inside back sleeve of the book has a quote from Dr. Seuss’ wife describing her husbands idea for this book: “Though his inspiration for this book was personal, he felt that someone else should bring his or her own vision to it. He wanted the illustrations to be very different from his.” The words of the story have the familiar Dr. Seuss rhyming pattern. By using radical change characteristics, like changing forms and formats, the words also play a role in illustrating the actions in the story.
This book would be a lot of fun to share with young children to teach them about different colors and moods and how the two can help explain each other. You could read the story out loud to the whole class or to a small group and have the children react to each page or feeling. After reading, the students could draw or illustrate their own mood for the day. This book not only explores different feelings, but it also enables kids to acknowledge that although everyday is different they are unique and perfect just they way they are. It gives the reader a sense of freedom knowing that others feel angry, sad, or hyper too every once-in-a-while.