One of my favorite Seussian books is Sneetches and Other Stories, a collection of four short, silly and didactic stories. Kids love them for their imaginative zaniness, but you can read fairly profound messages into each of them. "The Sneetches" conveys powerful lessons in the foibles of identity politics and the parasitic greed that drives our popular culture and fashion; in "The Zax" there are truths about hyperpartisanism and gridlocked government; in "What Was I Scared Of?" we learn about how cultural misunderstandings can transform into irrational fearmongering.
But the shortest story in the book, "Too Many Daves," is my favorite, not for any subtext railing against overpopulation, but because of its pure silliness. It's the vignette of a harried mother who names all twenty three of her sons Dave, which causes trouble when she calls Dave home for dinner. Then, just because it's his book and he can do whatever he wants, Dr. Seuss launches into a riff of hypothetical alternative names they could have been given, all of them totally absurd and hilarious.
I've read the book a hundred times, and still the kids and I can't help but laugh out loud every time we get to this line:
And one of them Ziggy. And one Soggy Muff.
One Buffalo Bill. And one Biffalo Buff.
Why is that so funny? I don't know, but it cracks us up everytime.
Our other favorite names are Stinkey, Bodkin Van Horn, Snimm, Sneepy, and to finish off the silliness, he gives us Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate, which always garners a benedictory chuckle.
To me, this lesser-known Seuss story is perfectly emblematic of his genius. Sure, The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham are his signature works, but in a minor story like this you can glimpse his joie de vivre, the pure delight he took in his own silly imagination. Kind of like seeing paintings by Michaelangelo: you can appreciate his artistic mastery in the Sistine Chapel, but if you could see what he painted on his kids' bedroom ceiling, you might get a better picture of the man's true soul.
So here's to Mr. Dr. Seuss, a visionary genius who joyfully revolutionized children's literature.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
From your biggest fan,
Soggy Muff
From your biggest fan,
Soggy Muff
30 comments:
Dr. Seuss is a genius!! I once thought it would be easy to write like Dr. Seuss. He just makes up new words to make it rhyme, but in reality that is what makes so unique and fun. He has his own way of saying things. He is great!!! My kids will be well versed in the works of Dr. Seuss.
I love Dr. Suess as well. My students love to listen to any of his books any day.
Some of my kids use his made up words when they are trying to be funny. He is one of a kind.
Great post!
I love playing with words
I love dr suess.
I love the tale of
Thidwick the moose.
I love playing with words
I love lewis carroll
I love how the Jabberwocky
brings such sense of peril.
I love playing with words
they pick up such steam
when I throw them into
my cutup machine.
steam sense word love
dr carroll sense up
up words dr words
love them love up.
(btw, I did write a little cutup machine a few years ago. And I use it all the time. Its a fun little tool for a fine little time.)
I find out about more and more books by the Seuss man all of the time...I'd never heard of this little collection. I think the Maxster needs it. I was so excited when Max started to sit through an entire Dr. Seuss book because I love to read them too! He really is a genius.
zolpidem 10 mg ambien withdrawal symptoms nightmares - snorting generic ambien
buy xanax bars online xanax overdose vomiting - xanax effects sleep
order xanax no prescription xanax xr 1mg tablets - xanax side effects and uses
order ativan ativan uses nausea - long break ativan addiction
cheap xanax xanax 2mg 11 - generic xanax pill pictures
valium pharmacy online pharmacy reviews valium - valium dosage mg/kg
buy generic ativan ativan dosage dementia - ativan uses and dosages
no prescription xanax xanax effects testosterone - buy xanax alprazolam online
buy zolpidem zolpidem dosage to get high - zolpidem tartrate maximum dosage
order ativan ativan juice - ativan withdrawal chest pain
buy xanax bars online no prescription xanax 1 mg upjohn - xanax bars nicknames
buy zolpidem zolpidem indications - generic zolpidem ambien
order ativan online ativan juice - lorazepam to buy uk
ativan mg ativan lorazepam high - ativan 0.5 mg tablet
buy diazepam cheap diazepam liver damage - side effects to diazepam
diazepam online whats the max dose of diazepam - diazepam xanax together
ambien buy recovering ambien overdose - ambien sleep walking talking
carisoprodol no prescription somanabolic muscle maximizer ebay - can you legally buy soma online
buy ambien online ambien withdrawal muscle tremors - buy ambien no script
buy ambien online half-life of ambien 10 mg - ambien dosage withdrawal
order soma generic soma dosage - generic soma 446
buy generic soma generic soma online - buy soma online with cod
buy valium diazepam valium 5 mg tablets - how will 10mg valium affect me
A huge dick in my pussy,a warm wet tounge up
my personal arse and cum as well as pussy juice all
over me. Fuck, ozzy
Also visit my weblog; hcg injections
This is very interеsting, Үou're a very skilled blogger. I'νe jοined your rss fеeԁ аnd look
fοгward tο seeκing moгe of your fantastic ρost.
Alsο, I havе shared yοur site in my ѕociаl
networκs!
My hоmepage hcg wholesale
When I іnitiаllу commenteԁ Ӏ clickeԁ the "Notify me when new comments are added" chеckbοx
and noω each tіme а сomment is addeԁ Ι gеt fouг е-mаils with thе samе comment.
Is thеre anу wаy уоu can
remove me from thаt sегvice? Αpρreсiate it!
Feel free to suгf to my weblog ... hcg diet direct
Post a Comment