Dr. Suess

The Cat in the Hat is one of the most loved children's books. It was written by Dr. Suess in 1957. It is the story about a brother and sister who are entertained by the cat in the hat while their mother is out. Despite,the fish's pleas to leave, the cat entertains the children through a balancing act that ends up with the toy ship in a cake and a bent rake. The cat brings in a red, wooden box that he calls fun-in-a-box. Inside are two creatures called Thing One and Thing Two. The Things end up making an even bigger mess when they try flying a kite in the house. When mother is spotted on her way home, the children catch the things with a net and the cat leaves the children and the huge mess. He returns riding a vehicle with arms that straightens the house back to its tidy state. In the end, mother asks the children if they had fun while she was out. The children ask the readers the question, "What would you do if your mother asks you?"

Dr. Suess wrote this book using 225 vocabulary words geared to children ages 6 and 7. In fact, Dr. Suess was given a vocabulary list and a challenge to create a new reading primer for children. It took him a year and half to write the book.

Is there a contemporary book that has tension similar to what is found in The Cat in the Hat? I don't think there is any book that could even compare to the classic The Cat in the Hat.

This book was written in 1957. However, it still appeals to children today. The text and illustrations are not dated as you would expect. The illustrations of the characters, setting, and plot seem as though they do not belong in our world...maybe Suess World. The rhythmic text found in his books cause children to keep reading the books over and over again. His imagination also appeals to children. What child has not dreamed of the mischievous they could cause while mother is away? Grandparents and parents are also eager to share the book with their children and grandchildren that they once read when they were children.

The Lorax, written in 1971, is about a boy who visits the Onceler to find out what the Lorax was. After paying fifteen cents, a nail, and a shell of a great-great-great- grandfather snail, he heard the story through a whisper-ma-phone. Years ago, the Onceler came across the truffula trees. He used the tufts to knit a thneed. After cutting down his first tree, he was visited by the Lorax, the speaker of the trees, who called him greedy. The onceler ignored the Lorax and began knitting more theneeds with the tufts of chopped down trufflla trees. He built factories and was shipping theends everywhere. He was visited by the Lorax many times who tried to explain what harm it was doing to the environment. Soon, there were no more Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans or Humming-Fish. All that was left was smog, a glumpy pond, and no more truffula trees. The Lorax left leaving behind the word "Unless" written in rocks. Onceler didn't know know what that meant until now. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better." The onceler tosses down the last truffula seed and advises the boy to plant it and take care of it. Maybe if a forest grows the Lorax and his friends will come back.

The Lorax is didactic because it it is a book that teaches a moral lesson. The lesson is to take care of the environment before it is too late. Readers also learn to appreciate the environment they have been blessed with. This book should be used to teach children about how the environment is effected by our actions. Adults need to teach children how to help the environment such as reduce, reuse, and recycle.

There are many books that are considered didactic. Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna is a story was inspired by a 300-year old Ukrainian story that teaches students the power of words and how they can do harm to others. I read this to my students to teach them about the harmful effects of gossip. Adults will find this story applicable to their life as well. Another book could be The Giving Tree.