Dr. Seuss - Up to the Challenge

Both Mrs. BA and I read to LBA before he goes to bed. There is often much negotiation over "how many stories," "long stories or short stories," and then the negotiations continue once we are in bed - which one first, can he have another one after the pre-arranged number has been agreed to, etc. (We do try to read to SoBA - but he is usually more interested in grabbing the book and flinging it away, or flipping the pages from back to front rather than front to back - but we're working on it.)

There are several Dr. Seuss books in the repertoire, Green Eggs and Ham among them. As a result, I found this story very interesting. Evidently, after finishing (and publishing) The Cat in the Hat in 1955, Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss's real name) was challenged to write another book using only 50 words. (The Cat in the Hat had only used 223 words). Geisel collected on the bet when Green Eggs and Ham came out in 1960, using exactly 50 words. Okay, so they're repeated, but there are only fifty words in the story. Know what they are?

a am and anywhere are be boat box car could dark do eat eggs fox goat good green ham here house I if in let like may me mouse not on or rain Sam say see so thank that the them there they train tree try will with would you

Later, I found this story, published on what would have been Ted Geisel's 105th birthday, which detailed 10 stories behind some of the greatest hits put out by Dr. Seuss. As the parents of two small children, I've read most of them. I, however, avoid discussing the controversy. The Green Eggs and Ham 50-word bet, is on the list, here are the other nine:

• The Lorax is indeed about the logging industry and got Geisel in trouble with that industry.
• Horton Hears a Who contains the line, "A person's a person, no matter how small." This line was grabbed by pro-life organizations, but it is unlikely that Geisel meant it that way, especially since he sued to have one organization stop using the line.
• If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950, contains the first recorded instance of the word "nerd."
• The Cat in the Hat was created because Geisel thought the Dick and Jane primers (wow - acid flashback) were boring. He was right.
• Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! is not about Richard Nixon. Really, it's not.
• Yertle the Turtle is about Hitler. Really, it is.
• The Butter Battle Book is about the Cold War.
• Oh, the Places You'll Go, published in 1990 and the final Dr. Seuss book, is one of his best sellers as it is a perennial gift to graduates. It sells about 300,000 copies a year.
• The cartoon movie based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas featured Boris Karloff narrating and providing the voice of the Grinch. The man who provided the voice of Tony the Tiger sang, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."