The story of Green Eggs and Ham is a simple one. Sam-I-am pesters the narrator to try his dish of green eggs and ham. The narrator refuses and responds by saying "I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham." He continuously repeats this as Sam badgers him to get him to try the dish in various locations and with different animals. The narrator finally relents and eats the green eggs and ham. He discovers that he actually likes them and ends by declaring "I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!"
As with most of Dr Seuss' works, Green Eggs and Ham is a fun and delightful read filled with rhyme, rhythm and repetition. Almost the entire book is written in the form of a rhyming couplet.
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| Source: photo taken by me |
The use of such a predictable rhyming scheme not only makes it fun for children to read aloud, it also provides the opportunity to learn the concept of rhyming words. There are even games and activities using the words in the book to help children identify the rhyming words. One such example is shown below.
This book only contains fifty different words and a large portion of them are repeated. This repetition helps create a long-lasting impression of rhyming words. It will also help reinforce new words as they are encountered again and again.
This story encourages children to have a sense of adventure and not to fear uncertainty. The green eggs and ham which Sam offers the narrator is seen as something new and unknown. The narrator is initially resistant to trying it but after he does, he realises that he likes it. This encourages children to always give something a try before deciding if they like or dislike it. Reading this as a young child, I remember thinking that the narrator has wasted so much of his time resisting something he could have enjoyed much earlier!
The whimsical illustrations that are highly characteristic of Dr Seuss also adds on to the sense of imagination and adventure this book provides.
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| Source: photo taken by me |
Dr Seuss is undeniably one of the most classic and iconic writers of children's books. His books have the magical ability to transcend time and continue to touch and entertain children decades later. Although first published in 1960, Green Eggs and Ham is still enjoyed by children around the world today. Dr Seuss' works have also greatly influenced popular culture with books like "The Cat in the Hat" and "The Lorax" being adapted into movies. There is also a Dr Seuss themed section in Universal's Islands of Adventure called Seuss Landing.
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