Rarely will you run across someone who doesn’t know the prolific stories of Dr. Seuss. While several of his stories were more recently pulled because of egregious racial and ethnic stereotypes, there remains a plethora of invaluable life lessons underneath the silly eccentricity of his adorable rhyming children’s stories; takeaways that we learn as children and should be carried with us into adulthood.
Lesson from “The Sneetches” – Accept people despite their differences.
But McBean was quite wrong. I’m quite happy to say
That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day,
The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars
And whether they had on, or not, upon thars.
Lesson from “What Was I Scared Of?” – Empathy can turn a stranger into a friend.
I never heard such whimpering
And I began to see
That I was just as strange to them
As they were strange to me!
Lesson from “I Had trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew” – Sometimes it’s better to face your problems.
Then I started back home
To the Valley of Vung
I know I’ll have troubles
I’ll, maybe, get stung.
I’ll always have troubled.
I’ll, maybe, get bit
By that Green –Headed Quail
On the place where I sit.
But I’ve brought a big bat
I’m all ready, you see.
Now my troubles are going
To have troubles with me!
Lesson from “Horton Hatches the Egg” – Stay loyal to yourself and your word.
And it should be, it should be, it SHOULD be like that!
Because Horton was faithful! He sat and he sat!
He meant what he said
And he said what he meant…
An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!
Lesson from “Green Eggs and Ham” – Step outside your comfort zone and try new things, you might be pleasantly surprised.
You do not like them. So you say.
Try them! Try them! And you may!
Lesson from “Horton Hears a Who” – Support others, even if they are different from you.
Don’t give up! I believe in you all.
A person’s a person, no matter how small!
Lesson from “I Can Read with my Eyes Shut” – Open your eyes, and your mind.
There are so many things you can learn about
But you'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.
Lesson from “Yertle the Turtle” – Everyone should be treated equal.
I know up on top you are seeing great sights
But down here on the bottom, we too should have rights.
Lesson from “The Lorax” – Stand up for others.
I am the Lorax.
I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees,
for the trees have no tongues.
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