Bartholomew and the Oobleck
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Book cover
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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1949 (renewed 1976) |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 48 pages |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose |
| Followed by | If I Ran the Zoo |
Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a 1949 book by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). It follows the adventures of a young boy named Bartholomew, who must rescue his kingdom from a sticky substance called Oobleck. The book is a sequel of sorts to The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Unlike most of Geisel's books, which are written in anapestic tetrameter, Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a prose work, like its predecessor.
Geisel said he drew inspiration for the book from a conversation he overheard while stationed in Belgium during World War II. During a rainstorm, one of his fellow soldiers remarked, "Rain, always rain. Why can't we have something different for a change?"
The book was named a Caldecott Honor Book in 1950.
The book opens with an explanation about how people in the Kingdom of Didd still talk about "The year the King got angry with the sky," and how Bartholomew Cubbins, King Derwin's page boy, saved the kingdom. Throughout the year, Bartholomew sees the king getting angry at rain in spring, sun in summer, fog in autumn, and snow in winter because he wants something new to come down from the sky. The king gets the idea that ruling the sky is the task of his Royal Magicians so he orders Bartholomew to summon them. When he expresses his wish to the magicians, they announce they can make something called Oobleck which won't look like the regular weather.
Next morning Bartholomew sees the first sign that the Oobleck (a sticky green slime) is falling. The king orders Bartholomew to tell the Royal Bell Ringer that today will be a holiday. When the bell ringer tries to ring the bell, it doesn't ring because Oobleck has gotten into it. When Bartholomew sees a mother bird trapped in her nest by the Oobleck, Bartholomew makes the decision to warn the kingdom.
When the Royal Trumpeter tries to sound the alarm, Oobleck gets into the trumpet and the trumpeter gets his hand stuck trying to remove the Oobleck. When Bartholomew tries to tell the Captain of the Guard to warn the kingdom, the captain tries to prove that he's not afraid by scooping some Oobleck up with his sword and eating it, only to get his mouth stuck and breathe out green bubbles. Bartholomew tries to go to the Royal Stables for a horse to warn the kingdom on his own, but they are covered in Oobleck.
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