Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, was the famed author of numerous children’s picture books. Seuss’ most popular books include Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, and the Horton books. Reading Seuss to a preschooler can be a fun, but exasperating, experience. Learning to read Seuss well can lead to many lessons for a would-be literature scholar.
Green Eggs and Ham
This book, in which the main character, Sam, claims not to like green eggs and ham, has two main lessons that can be used with small children. Sam says repeatedly that he does not like green eggs and ham no matter how they are cooked or where he eats them, but in the end, he tries the green eggs and ham and likes them. Children can understand this lesson in that they must learn to try foods before claiming they do not like them. Parents can return to this Seuss lesson later.
The green eggs and ham are a fun way to eat food, and if parents are interested in playfulness with food, this lesson can turn into great fun. Dying eggs green with food coloring is one way to serve the meal with the book. Also trying different shapes, sizes, and colors of food can be a way to relate to the book.
Horton Hatches an Egg
Horton is a recurring character in Seuss books. In Horton Hatches an Egg, Horton sits on an egg for a bird Mayzie while the bird goes off to have fun. Horton is faithful and hatches the egg, which the Mayzie then wants to take back. Horton gets the bird – an elephant-bird – to go home with him because he was so faithful.
This Horton story teaches children that being committed to something is important. For adopted children, the story of Horton Hatches an Egg, while a bit unkind to adoptive parents, serves a great purpose. Horton is considered the elephant-bird’s parent because he committed himself to the egg despite the adversity. Even for non-adopted children, Horton teaches an excellent lesson about what it means to give ourselves to something.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Perhaps the most popularly known Seuss work is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This story, adapted into a cartoon and then a Jim Carrey movie, is about a Grinch who wants no one in Whoville to enjoy Christmas but eventually has a change of heart and becomes generous. When sharing this story with a preschooler, parents can discuss what it means to be generous and why we should give to other people. Use this book for opening a discussion on how to give to others.
Beyond all of the lessons parents can teach with Seuss, it is important to remember that Seuss wrote his books because of the beauty he saw in language. Sharing this love of language with children is a lesson in itself.
