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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories



By Dr. Seuss

Original copyright 1958


Most books for the very young that teach morals do so blatantly. Dr. Seuss had a gift for telling a story in such an entertaining way that you often don’t see it coming.  Or if you do see it coming, you don’t care because you’re having so much fun reading it.  

The first story in this book is Yertle the Turtle. Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond, and in the beginning all was well.  Unfortunately, his position goes to his head and his desire for more power inspires him to literally stand on the backs of the other turtles to raise his throne higher and higher.  

“If I could sit high, how much greater I’d be!
What a king!  I’d be ruler of all I could see!”

Yertle commands each turtle in the pond to stand upon each other’s backs, ignoring their complaints and groans.  It appears as if he has reached his goal of being higher than anyone or anything when the moon comes out. 

“What’s THAT?”  snorted Yertle.  Say what IS that thing
That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?”

Just as Yertle begins to call for five thousand, six hundred and seven more turtles to set his throne higher than the moon, poor little Mack, at the bottom of the stack, did something shocking:  he burped.  That burp shook the throne so much that Yertle fell off the top of his throne into the muddy pond.

“And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he,
Is King of the Mud.  That is all he can see.
And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.”

The lesson is obvious to readers young and old.  Any time we trample on others to reach our goal, we’ll eventually end up back at the bottom.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Wizard of Oz



By L. Frank Baum
Original copyright 1900
This edition 1980

I’ve read this book once before, yet it is the movie version that is foremost in my memory.  After a recent re-reading, I was struck by a difference I hadn’t remembered.  I already knew the film version’s ruby slippers were silver in the original story.  And I recalled that in the movie, Oz was just a dream of Dorothy’s, while in the book it actually existed.

What I hadn’t remembered is that the emerald city isn’t really all green.  What?!  Oz forces all residents and visitors to have emerald colored glasses locked onto their heads before entering the city.  He claims it is to keep the brilliance of the emeralds from damaging their eyes.  And they believe that he has their best interests in mind.  But it’s just a scam.  In actuality, everything is colored conventionally and the glasses make all appear green. 
 
I want to see the world through my own clear lenses – not through someone else’s lenses of what they think it should be.  Sometimes that might mean the world appears brilliant and green, but sometimes in might be dull and plain.  And if it appears dull and plain, then maybe I should do something about it myself.  Rather than putting on a pair of fake lenses, I could strive to add a little more real brilliance and color.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Dilly Duck



By Lucy Campbell
Pictures by Vivienne Blake
Copyright 1968



This cute little book traveled all the way from a used book store in Texas.  My sister brought it back for me after visiting her son.  Fortunately, Andy loves old books as much as I do so he took his mom to see some of his favorite shops.  She found this little gem from 1968.

Dilly Duck had such high expectations.  While she loved her home by the sea, lately she had been missing her good friend Mrs. Hen back at her old home, Appletree Farm.  A visit would be nice, but perhaps she would even move back there.  After getting off the train, Dilly Duck walked down the road to Appletree Farm, meeting many old friends along the way.  Mrs. Hen was surprised and happy to see Dilly.  Surely it was a good decision to come back!

But then Dilly decided to go for a swim.  She walked and walked and finally found her way to the pond.  Oh no!  Poor Dilly!  The pond was all dried up and only a puddle remained.  What will she do now?


While she wiped her tears away with her bath towel, she thinks that it might be best to just move back to the sea shore.  Sad Dilly Duck walked back to Appletree Farm.  

That night, the rain started to fall, and Dilly became hopeful once more.  Perhaps the rain would fill the pond!  The next morning, Dilly ran to the pond and found that the dried up little puddle was now deep, and blue, and beautiful.  Now Dilly was happy again.  She could stay at Appletree Farm!

Silly Dilly Duck!  Why despair when life doesn’t turn out the way you expected?  That pond may be all dried up today, but just have a little patience.  You never know what a good rain will bring. 

 

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Free to Be…You and Me



Conceived by Marlo Thomas
Copyright 1974



I’ve been thinking about this book a lot lately.  While I still had the accompanying record album, I wasn’t sure what happened to the original book that my mother bought for the three of us youngest children.  Recently, I came across a used copy and memories came flooding back.  I had perused this book and listened to the album many times growing up. 

Free to Be… You and Me is a collection of stories, poems, and songs that celebrate diversity and individuality and challenge stereotypes.   

Paging through the book, I remember my mother’s favorites.  

She loved the story of William’s Doll, based on a book by Charlotte Zolotow.  Five year old William wanted his own doll to take care of.  His best friend, his cousin, and his brother all teased him for being a sissy.  His father bought him all sorts of sporting equipment, which William used and enjoyed, but still, he wanted a doll.  Finally, William’s Grandma saves the day, buys the doll, and sets the rest of the family straight.  Of course William should have a doll.  Shouldn’t he know how to lovingly care for a baby?  After all, someday he may be a daddy.

Perhaps as a mother of six boys, my mother realized the importance of encouraging her sons become nurturing adults.  

Her other favorite was a poem by Sheldon Harnick titled Housework.  The author wonders why, in the ads on TV, a woman is always scouring the dishes, scrubbing the tub, or cleaning the stove or the sink with a great big smile on her face.  That woman, of course, is just a paid actress.  Housework, after all, is just no fun.  The poem ends with
                
               Little boys, little girls,
               when you’re big husbands and wives,
               if you want all the days of your lives
               to seem sunny as summer weather
               make sure, when there’s housework to do,
               that you do it together.


It’s funny how I didn’t care for this poem at all as a child, yet now I completely get it!

The story I remember most – the one that surprised me at the time with its message – is Atalanta.

Atalanta is a princess.  Like most princess stories, the problem that needs to be solved is who Atalanta is going to marry.  So many young men wished to marry this bright, clever, talented princess that her father didn’t know who to choose for her. (Note that physical beauty is not mentioned.)

“You don’t have to choose, Father,” Atalanta said.  “I will choose.  And I’m not sure that I will choose to marry anyone at all.”

The king wasn’t happy with this comment and decides to hold a race to decide who will marry his daughter.  The fastest runner will win the right to her hand.

 Clever girl that she is, Atalanta enters the race herself – and ties for first with John, a young man from town.

 Her father decides to give the prize to him since he came closest to winning.  John, smart man that he is, did not wish to win Atalanta in this way.  He only wished for a chance to speak with the bright young woman he admired.  They spent the day together, enjoyed each other’s company and became friends.  The next day, John sailed off to discover new lands and Atalanta set off to visit great cities.  They each had wonderful adventures and lived happily ever after.

 Free to be you and me encourages each child to imagine their own future free of cultural stereotypes.  I’m so grateful for this lesson.  I’m not sure if I said this 40 years ago, so I’ll say it now - thanks for the book and record, Mom.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

The Bingity-Bangity School Bus


By Fleur Conkling
Illustrations by Ruth Wood
Copyright 1950



Busby the school bus has been successfully taking children to school for years and his age is starting to show.  One morning, after rattling bingity-bang down the road, he overhears townspeople talking about his decrepit condition. Poor Busby’s feelings are hurt.  Rather than chance a trip to the junk yard, Busby decides to run away.  Driverless, he has trouble navigating the roads and ends up somersaulting over a bank and down a steep hill into a field of goldenrod.  

All alone, poor Busby now realizes how much he will miss the children.  Likewise, when the children hear of Busby’s departure, they all rush to the police station for help finding him.  The children hear Busby groaning, slide down the bank, and joyously crowd around their beloved bus. 


When a town meeting is held to decide Busby’s fate, the residents are asked, “Shall we make Busby good as new?”  Everyone shouts, “Yes, yes, yes!”

Three lessons from The Bingity-Bangity School Bus:

1. Take care of what you have so it will last as long as possible.  

2. Try to fix what is broken before giving up and throwing it away.  

3. Don’t let your vehicle overhear you complaining about it.