This weekend, March 24-26, Seussical the Musical will be performed by more than 80 children from Topanga Elementary Charter School’s Theater Arts Program.
“Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
— Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
March 2 was Dr. Seuss’ birthday and, as usual, we celebrated the day with Read Across America (readacrossamerica.org) activities. In the weeks before, during and after, I attempted to read the many Dr. Seuss books in my collection and those brought to school by my students.
Dr. Seuss books are known for the messages they manage to convey to children through compelling rhyme and, this month, with the current climate in our country and the contagious stress I have seen my students under, I was more than happy to share the messages of Dr. Seuss during Read-Across-America Day (week).
Why is Dr. Seuss so popular and why do we focus on this special day?
“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how.”
— The Cat in the Hat
Most kindergarten students begin reading with “The Cat in the Hat,” the book Theodor Geisel wrote when challenged to come up with a sight-word-filled book more entertaining than the Dick and Jane readers of the time. Geisel used 223 of the most common words and the rest is reading history! “The rest” made history when considering the messages transmitted through Geisel’s fun, adventurous books.
“The Cat in the Hat” brought the message of fun to young readers with the fanciful tale of a mysterious cat and his two mischievous friends who come to entertain two bored siblings on a rainy day. While now a little politically incorrect, with the mother going out and leaving the kids home alone, the book remains the gateway to reading for many kindergarten students and is fun to read aloud.
“Try them, try them, and you may! Try them and you may, I say.”
–– Green Eggs and Ham
Starting simply with “Green Eggs and Ham,” we learn the lesson of trying new things, something many parents struggle getting their children to do! In this story, Sam, who is simply offering him green eggs and ham to try, harasses the main character. After suggesting seemingly endless ways to try the meal (in a box, with a fox, etc.), the predictable text encouraging kids to read along, the ending comes as no surprise, but delights every time.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
— How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” tells the story of a greedy Grinch who attempts, unsuccessfully, to ruin Christmas for a town of Whos. The Grinch’s selfish, greedy plan is intercepted by a little girl who teaches the Grinch about unconditional love and the true meaning of shared holidays, challenging us to remember the true meaning of holidays, family and community.
“I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful 100%.”
— Horton Hatches the Egg
Horton is a kind soul who proves his loyalty in “Horton Hatches the Egg.” He reluctantly agrees to take care of Mayzie the lazy bird’s egg while she takes a break. When she doesn’t return, he sticks with his commitment and takes care of the egg through weather, struggles of bullying and threatened violence. Horton’s justly deserved reward of the hatchling, an “elephant-bird” delights children, who realized that, of course, the baby resembles Horton, the true parent, who made sure the baby was safely taken care of.
“A person’s a person no matter how small.”
— Horton Hears a Who!
“In Horton Hears a Who!”, the beloved story of Horton, the empathetic elephant who stumbles upon a world smaller than the eye can see, his excellent hearing allows him to listen to the pleas for help from the Mayor of the small town of Whoville. We big people need to listen to the children in our lives, too, and the message of empowerment when the smallest child of all is the one to blast sound through the barrier and saves the entire town, is noticed by children reading and listening to the story.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
— The Lorax
We learn about caring for the environment and the perils of neglecting it in the “The Lorax.” We learn about making useless things that we don’t need, depleting our natural resources and of being brave enough to take a stand to protect the trees and others without a voice.
“And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free,
as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.”
— Yertle the Turtle
The power of one turtle who notices an injustice and is brave enough to speak up and demand equality, is the lesson we learn in “Yertle the Turtle.” One cannot rise to power on the backs of others in a free and democratic society. “Yertle the Turtle.” introduces social justice to children in a way that most children find obvious and easily understandable.
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
— Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
“Oh, the Places You’ll Go” tackles the subject of self-determination. The message to children is to think, take charge of your life, to acknowledge the challenges we face in life and suggesting that one is in charge of one’s own destiny. We need to consider our choices, weigh the pros and cons but, ultimately, the choice is ours.
“Don’t fret!” she said,
You’ve learned the things you need
To pass that test and many more –
I’m certain you’ll succeed.
We’ve taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white make pink,
And something else that matters more –
We’ve taught you how to think.”
—Hooray for Diffendoofer Day
(Dr. Seuss, Jack Prelutsky & Lane Smith)
There are so many Dr. Seuss books, all with lessons and strong messages for children, but also for us. Theodore Geisel, who began his career as a political cartoonist, correctly realized that teaching children to read, to feel compassion, equity, loyalty, to try new things, to listen, to care about the environment, to love unconditionally, to enjoy life and have fun, to celebrate with those you love, to enjoy our differences, to be persistent, to imagine and, most of all, to think, was a way to ensure a future for us all.
*Seussical the Musical will be performed this weekend by more than 80 children from Topanga Elementary Charter School’s Theater Arts Program (T.E.T.A.) March 24-26. Visit http://www.topangaelementary.org/theater.html or contact the school for ticket information!
