The Lorax
By: Dr. Seuss

The story starts off with a young boy wanting to know about the Lorax. He goes to the house of the Once-ler where is pays “fifteen cents and a nail and the shell of a great-great-great grandfather snai” The Once-ler then flashes back to a time when there was green grass, truffula trees and all kinds of different animals. As the story goes on the Once-ler describes how he started to cut down the truffula trees to make thneeds. After cutting down some of the trees, a Lorax pops out and warns the Once-ler of the dangers of cutting down the trees. The Once-ler does not listen and pretty soon all the trees are gone because he did plant anymore, along with the animals that relied on the fruit of the trees for food. He also pollutes the ponds and air with his thneed factory. At the end of the story the Once-ler gives the young boy the very last truffula tree seed and tells him “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

The dictionary defines didactic as
containing a political or moral message
tending to give instruction or advice, even when it is not welcome or not needed
After reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss for the first time I did get the feeling that Seuss was teaching lesson about the human impact on the environment. I think what makes The Lorax didactic is the message it sends about the dangers of pollution and a complete disregard for the environment. The story conveys a moral message at the end of the book when the Lorax vanishes and all that is left is a platform that reads ULESS. The Once-ler then tells the boy, who is standing on the platform, that unless someone cares about the environment, conditions will not improve.
Traditionally, the book’s published by children’s authors were to educate and send moral messages. Today there are still a large number of books that are didactic in nature. However there are also a number of books published with the main purpose being to entertain children. I enjoy reading both kinds of literature to my students. I feel both types have a strong place and purpose in children’s literature.

The Cat in the Hat
By: Dr. Seuss

Even though I had read this book several times, I went back and read it once more. After re-reading the book, I have a clearer understanding of what Dr. Seuss meant when he portrayed childhood through the book, The Cat in the Hat . With the story sticking to simple words and colorful illustrations, I can see why this book is so appealing to young readers.

One contemporary book that has the same tension presented in The Cat in the Hat is If You Give a Moose a Muffin, written by Laura Numeroff. In this book, a moose partakes in the similar antics of the cat. Just like The Cat in the Hat, this book is very imaginative and has an aspect of nonsense and silliness to it. Both books are very entertaining and exciting to read. I can remember my mom reading The Cat in the Hat to me as a young child. I could not wait for her to turn the page and read what crazy idea the cat had come up with. I get the same feeling when I read If You Give a Moose a Muffin to my students. As a class we try and predict what we think they moose is going to ask for next. I think this book appeals to children because of the crazy antics found through out the story.