Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax

It was such a delight re-reading Dr. Seuss' book, The Cat in the Hat. It had been a really long time since I had read it, and I enjoyed it immensely. I know that Dr. Seuss wrote these books as an alternative to the Dick and Jane books popular of their time, but I find the Dr. Seuss books far more sophisticated than the Dick and Jane books. I also read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, which was a book I had never read before, and found that book to be very thought provoking, as most Dr. Seuss novels are. I think Dr. Seuss books can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and this has been repeatedly shown by the use of Oh, the Places You'll Go! as a common graduation gift. Both of these books that I read seem to have a greater message than the pure joy one gets from reading them. The Cat in the Hat urges us that maybe Mom really does know best, and the fish somewhat serves as our conscience to remind us of what we are not supposed to do! In The Lorax, the greater message is one of environmental awareness - to love the beauty that surrounds us and try not to destroy it in the process.

While I do not know if there is a contemporary book that has the tension present as in The Cat and the Hat, I do know that it still appeals to children today. My son loved it when I read it aloud to him, and laughed out loud when I made a voice for the fish! I thin kthis book will always be able to capture the hearts of readers, no matter what age they are.

In terms being didactic - which means designed or intended to teach - The Lorax is definitely that! It teaches readers to take care of and treasure their environment because perhaps all the things we love about it could eventually disappear. There are still didactic books today, especially those teaching social messages of equality and diversity. They may not be as controversial as The Lorax, but they are still being written and read.

It was great fun reading these books, and it makes me want to go and re-read many more of Dr. Seuss' legendary tales. I know my son and I will enjoy them for many years to come!

Sources:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ Retrived on 3-13-08

http://www.mirriam-webster.com/ Retrieved on 3-13-08 (Call me stupid, but I had to look up what didactic meant!)

Dr. Seuss. The cat in the hat(1957). New York: Random House.