Oh, the Places You'll Go!
A graduation favorite that makes room for waiting, wrong turns and lonely stretches alongside success. Its value lies in that mixed forecast, not only the buoyant ending.
- First published
- 1990
- Reading stage
- Picture books & shared reading
Reading this with your child
Map the changing journey
Trace the unnamed traveler from open choices through high places, the Lurch and the Waiting Place. Ask which turns come from choice, chance or other people; the sequence resists a simple upward path.
Make the Waiting Place concrete
Pause over the list of people waiting for news, transport or another person. Children can name a time waiting felt passive, then imagine one small action that could restore agency.
Keep the promise proportionate
The book predicts both success and confusion. Read its “98 and 3/4 percent” flourish as comic encouragement rather than a guarantee, especially with a child facing a real transition.
Compare before choosing: Both address a young person moving toward an uncertain future, but Seuss uses open possibility while Lowry tests a life whose choices are assigned. View the comparison title →
The Rainbow Fish
Guess How Much I Love You
The Very Quiet Cricket
If You Give a Moose a Muffin