Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born this day in 1904. Teachers, librarians, and parents use his books in children’s literacy, but I found children and adults never really out grow Dr. Seuss.
Several years ago, I read an article about Dr. Seuss. He created cartoons as a critical response to Hitler and Mussolini. He deplored racism and his books were a means of introducing children to diversity. Even though we think of his books as essential to children’s literacy, they are as important to social justice and equity.
It was not just his characters, but what they ate or did not eat that were part of the diversity.
Do you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
I do not like green eggs and ham!
Would you like them here or there?
I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you,
Sam-I-am!
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Teacher as Transformer 
When my kids were young I found one of The Butter Battle book which was about a stupid war because each side butter their bread differently. After reading that book I looked at Dr. Sues books differently.
That is part of the diversity he helped a children and adults learn about.
I was raised on Dr. Seuss. Both of my folks loved him and I see his influence in all of the children’s books I’ve written.
That would be a lovely way to be raised Judy and to find his influence.
Lovely man, lovely books, There is a fine museum with lovely creatures in Springfield, MA his birthplace well worth visiting.
We do travel, so that is nice to know. It would be something I would enjoy. Thank you
I was randomly quoting one of his books two nights ago(!) Funny, they do stay with a person 😉
They do. It is neat how these things just arise seemingly from nowhere.
Well happy birthday Dr Seuss 🙂
Did he influence any of your writing and animation?
Not directly, but his influence is so strong on the whole world that his creations are everywhere, and that is wonderful.
My daughter loved “One Fish, Two Fish…” She cried the day Dr. Seuss died because she thought his books would disappear. She was only five. 😉 xoM
That is a wonderful story Margarita. Children have a different way of understanding.
I love Dr. Seuss books. ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
They are so much fun to read.
I know that one by heart. Got to love Dr. Seuss.
Leslie
I agree Leslie: you got to love Dr. Seuss. I love reading the books to our grandson. The pictures are so engaging.
I love the way his mind works.
Wonderful tip of the (Cat in the) hat to Dr. Seuss, Ivon~~
Yes, and the whole cancel culture attempt to try and remove his books is just pure lunacy to me.
Even I tend to be very liberal, I understand he wrote at a different time and his writing evolved. Much of what he wrote under his pseudonym was to help children and adults understand the role diversity plays in life
The cartoon which they were upset about criticized the U.S. for not letting Jewish refugees into the country during WWII and had a caption which read, “America First.” There was nothing wrong with the cartoon, and Seuss was Jewish himself. But, since it had that caption, they demonized him for everything else. Ridiculous. I know you must understand the term, anachronism, which means interpreting history by today’s standards. Things get distorted when people do that. Thank you for your response. My daughter loved Dr. Seuss, and so did I when I was growing up.
I do understand what you are saying and we should be careful not to judge the past by today’s standards. I still love Dr. Seuss, read it to our children, and read it to our grandson. As I noted, his books revealed acceptance of differences and the importance of diversity in the world.