You're Only Old Once!: A Book for Obsolete Children »

It s difficult to imagine the children s book landscape without Dr. Seuss, who is, almost half a century after The Cat in the Hat, the best-recognized children s book writer in the country. But until Dr. Seuss -- a.k.a. Theodor Seuss Geisel -- reinvented the genre with his colorful and exuberant Sneetches, Grinches, Zaxes, and Zooks, children s books were often little more than literal-minded lessons and cautionary tales intended to transform young readers into productive citizens.

If laughter is the best medicine, then You’re Only Old Once! is a delightful new defense against aging. Anyone who has ever submitted to a battery of medical tests will empathize with Dr. Seuss’s Everyman as we follow him through his checkup with the experts at the Golden Years Clinic. From the initial Eyesight and Solvency Test through all the stops along Stethoscope Row to finally being “properly pilled” and “properly billed,” Dr. Seuss lightens the aches and pains of growing old with his inimitable wit and wisdom. A perfect gift for anyone over 50!

Children's Literature

I am thrilled about this book! How very clever! This is not the typical book that Dr. Seuss writes for children but rather a book for those of us who are getting on in years. The setting takes place in a clinic where an elderly man is waiting for and experiences a thorough physical exam. There is a doctor for everything and tests galore, and the man hates the sitting and waiting for what will come next. ".And if you're the type that gets finicky-finick, at this point you'll try to get out of that clinic. But they will outwit you as quick as a winick! The Quiz Doctor will catch you! They'll start questionnairing! They'll ask you, point blank, how your parts are all faring.." and "try to recall if your grandma hurt most in the spring or the fall. Did your cousins have dreadful wild nightmares at night? Did they suffer such ailments as Bus Drivers Blight, Chimney Sweep's Stupor, or Prune Picker's Plight?" I laughed out loud and read it several times, thinking of all the people I can give this to as a gift. The illustrations are hilarious and go perfectly with the text. I just cannot say enough good things about this book! Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs