Dr. Seuss has written classics that will withstand the ages. His books have been around for years and will continue to be popular with children, parents, and teachers. The Cat in the Hat is a book with a lot of tension that children really do not seem to understand without prompting. The fish acts as the "angel" on the shoulder of the children while the Cat in the Hat is the "devil" on the other shoulder. While the Cat in the Hat is enticing the children to do things they know are wrong and don't necessarily want to do, the fish is reminding them not to. This is much like children really are. They are always enticed to do what is wrong, but in the back of their mind, they know they shouldn't . The fish is their conscience and the Cat in the Hat represents the battles they face every day.
An example of another book with similar tension is Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. The reader is told immediately not to let the pigeon drive the bus while he is away. The pigeon, much like the rabbit in the "Trix" commercial, is constantly trying to convince the reader to let him drive.
Another book is Where the Wild Things Are. The young boy in this book is sent to his room without supper and this makes him angry with his mother. He then dreams of taking a boat and visiting where the wild things are. They make him their king and he can be as terrible as he chooses. The wild things are lashing out and acting like Max until he tires of it and tells them to "be still". He sees in them what his mother might have seen in him and wants to go home.
These two books are good books, but Dr. Seuss is the best!
Geisel, T.S. (1957). The cat in the hat. New York, NY: Random House.
Geisel, T.S. (1957). Retrieved on April 28, 2009 from web site http://jennifermorrill.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cat-hat-book.jpg
Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Willems, M (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!. New York, NY: Hyperion Books For Children.
Willems, M. (2003). Retrieved on April 28, 2009 from web site http://www.larl.org/kids/images/don%27t_let_the_pigeon.jpg
Sendak, M. (1963). Retrieved on April 28, 2009 from web site http://assets.kaboose.com/media/00/00/05/1d/e23332247e1d3c2f593f8d072395b972a74c95b3/476x357/Where-The-Wild-Things-Are_476x357.jpg
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