Blog 13: Dr. Suess

Book Selection: "The Cat in the Hat"
Author: Dr. Suess

"The Cat in the Hat" is a classic for all time. On one wet day, when the sun would not shine, a cat in a hat drops by to entertain Sally and her brother. What the two do not realize is that the cat might bring more trouble than he is worth! When the cat nearly destroys the house, he decides to introduce two more characters to liven things up. Thing 1 and Thing 2 do not make the house any neater! Just when mother is about to arrive home, the cat comes through to help straighten up and save the day.

Although this is a basic, straight-forward story line, many have critiqued this book as being chaotic, yet others still find it enticing to the young reader. As mentioned in the prompt, there is a tension between "good sense and nonsense" in this book. Children cling to it because of the preposterous situation that the cat causes and teachers promote it due to the basic 225 vocabulary words that are repeated throughout.


(1) Is there a contemporary book that has the tension presented in "The Cat in the Hat?"

Of course it should be recognized that this is an opinion question and that it is very unlikely that most would agree in response. This being said, I have to say that there is not a modern book that could justifiably be compared to "The Cat in the Hat." The aforementioned tension between the problem and ease of solution can not be easily replicated as Dr. Suess has managed. Consequently, in my opinion, there are other books that I feel come close to captivating this element of drama that Dr. Suess presents.

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by John Archambault and Bill Martin, Jr. is one of my favorite books of all time. This book has the same mesmerizing quality to it that I find present in "The Cat in the Hat." Not only is rhyme present in both stories, but they are both books that I see children memorizing and reciting word for word. Of course, "Chicka Chicka" fails to live up to the tension that is presented in Suess' book. While there is an underlying problem in "Chicka Chicka", it is solved simply and basically by the characters of the story without outside help or pressure.

Another book I considered in a relatively comparable league as "The Cat in the Hat" is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day", which was written by Judith Viorst. While this story lacks rhyme and the mesmerizing qualities that both Suess and Martin's books had, it holds the element of "what is going to happen next?!" in a child's mind. Additionally, many children are able to relate to the things that happen to Alexander to their everyday lives. The illustrations in this book are black and white, which give the reader an opportunity to really focus in on what is being said. In fact, children take away a lesson from "Alexander" just as they could from "The Cat in the Hat."

(2) Does this book still appeal to children and why?
"The Cat in the Hat" will always hold appeal to children. Dr. Suess is legendary for the rhythmic beat of his books and the unfathomable things that happen in his stories. Younger readers also appreciate the element of rhyme in his books and love the fantastic illustrations that are provided in each tale. It would be very difficult for me to imagine a time when Dr. Suess did not hold a prominent place on a child's bookshelf. Many parents have also grown up with this story and are eager to share it with their own children first. It is evident that people are still intrigued by this story (even after 50+ years) as the 2003 movie featuring Mike Myers was relatively successful.


Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.