The Sneetches and Other Stories

A child's book that noone should outgrow. Contains some good guidelines for children of all ages - even 75.

Great introduction to racial issues in "The Sneetches". Tells about a story of two "sneetches" who think they are better than the rest. There are various sneetches with various shapes on their belly. But, in the end you will learn everyone is the same. Great book for any age!

I've been a huge fan of Dr. Seuss since I was a child, but until I read The Lorax for the first time a few years ago, I had never realized that he was an author with the heart of an activist. Much like The Lorax, The Sneetches and Other Stories tackles mature themes in a non-threatening, even

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humorous, way that kids can understand. All four stories in the book have the underlying message of tolerance, acceptance and compromise with those who are different from us or with whom we may not see eye to eye.

In The Sneetches, we have the story of how the Star-Belly Sneetches think they are better than the Plain-Belly Sneetches, and as a result, the Plain-Belly Sneetches are excluded from the Star-Belly Sneetches's activities. That is until Sylvester McMonkey McBean comes to town with his magical machine that adds or removes stars, creating utter chaos, and eventually rendering stars irrelevant. I really liked this story about how our differences don't really matter. The illustrations are cute, and I was especially moved by how incredibly sad the Plain-Belly Sneetches looked when they were being shut out.

In The Zax, we have two Zaxes who each have their own way of thinking and both absolutely refuse to alter their course. This leaves them at a stubborn impasse as the world goes on around them. I thought this was a great story about the importance of compromise.

Too Many Daves is about a mother who named all of her twenty-three sons Dave. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely certain of the meaning behind this one, but I think it was about how we are all the same and yet each one of us is also unique.

Last but not least, in What Was I Scared of? the cute, little, nameless protagonist is afraid of a pair of pants that walks around by itself, because it's so different than anything he's ever seen before. When he realizes that the pants are as scared of him as he is of them, the two are able to offer comfort to one another and become friends. I thought this was another great story about the importance of accepting those who are different from ourselves.

Overall, The Sneetches and Other Stories was an enjoyable book that managed to address some serious issues in a fun, easy to understand way. I highly recommend it for “kids” of all ages.

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In the Sneetches, the star-bellied and plain-bellied sneetches have to learn to get along and see past there exterior differences.
In The Zax, the north-going zax and south-going zax are not willing to compromise. So, they stand still for years and years, but nothing ever gets accomplished.
Too Many

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Daves is a story about a woman who named all of her sons Dave. She realized later that having different names is a good thing.

What Was I Scared of? is a story about feelings. He realizes that he is just as scared of the pants as they are of him. After he thinks about the pants point of view, he realizes they aren't so different after all.

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Another classic Dr Seuss book, always a pleasure to read these.

This story is another Seuss classic, because a child can read this book and just see a silly story with nonsense words and pretty pictures, but an adult can see underlying messages about today's society, and the importance it is to not judge one another's appearances. I love it, and wouldn't think

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twice about reading it to my students.

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This represents a Modern Fantasy because it uses characters and a setting that is make-believe and would not be possible in real life. This is mostly pretend, but holds a small bit of truth because of the lessons that can be learned from it.

This book is a good example of fantasy because Sneetchs do not really exist. But Dr. Seuss uses the Sneetchs to talk about real issues in our society, such as excluding people for being different.

Give it up for Dr. Seuss! This book can be used across the grade levels. Younger elementary students will enjoy the rhyme and repetition and the colorful graphics. Older children--and even high schoolers--will enjoy the rhyme as well as the book's powerful messages about diversity, judging others,

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peer pressure, corporate messaging, and being who you are. This is a great conversation starter!

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I love to read this type of Dr. Seuss book. He had such an imagination and always found creative ways to share important messages about life with readers young and old. A timeless book with an important message (warning) about our humanity.

The Sneetches is one of my favorite Dr.Suess books. The story is about some Sneetches with stars and others without. The stared Sneetches do not allow the plain bellied Sneetches to play with them.After many attempts to get a star or remove their stars they relize it doesn't matter if they have a

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star or not and become friends.

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I have always liked the Sneetches. It is about star-bellied sneetches and plain-bellied sneetches and their interactions. It demonstrates ebing different as well as prejudice. In the end everyone ends up the same. It has simple words and since it is Dr. Seuss it has fun rhymes. Zax, Daves, and What

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Was I Scared Of are also fun stories.

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I was too young to know about the Nobel Peace Prize when I read this book for the first time. But if I had known about it, I would have assumed that Dr. Geisel would have been one of the nominees when he published this book. Star-bellied sneetches still stroll down the beaches of every coast of

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every country. With the wit of the Doctor and some intuition, the children on those beaches will have a chance to change.I remember keeping the lights on when I got to the story about the pants! And I'll never forget those highways that were built around the north-going and south-going Zax. Looks just like San Diego!This book is an excellent and colorful book for many generations of readers to enjoy. Adults will appreciate the wit and children will love the rhyme. It's on my list of Top 10 Children's Books of All Time.

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Includes "the Zax," which is a great way to teach about the importance of solving conflicts.
Includes "The Sneetches," which is a great way to teach about differences and prejudice.

The is the best Dr. Suess story around. It teaches a lesson, it's funny. I read it in second grade, and my dad and I fell in love with it. Everyone can appreciate it.

Admission: I was scared of Dr. Suess books when I was a little kid. I think it had something to do with the hairy, anthropomorphic, bird-like creatures that served as a variety of different Seussian characters including the Sneetches. (Okay, so I was kind of a wimp as a little kid.)

That said, I

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don't have a great deal of attachment to Dr. Seuss books, so I don't always understand the nostalgic love that a lot of people who grew up reading his books have.

However, his stories almost always have an interesting message, very interesting (if sometimes frightening, ha ha) illustrations, and are generally great read-alouds due to their rhyme and meter.

One thing that struck me as I read this title was the sheer scope of his imagination and how great it was that so many kids read and love him; hopefully his imagination spurs kids to more imaginative creativity. Something like that book "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis: kids have so much more scope for the non-literal and Dr. Seuss really tapped into something that spoke to that with his books.

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Teaching about equality and prejudice Dr. Suess tells a story of Sneeches who have stars upon thars. Of course they don't hang out with non-stared Sneeches. The fix -it-up chappy comes along and sends everything into chaos. Who now are the best bellies on the beaches. In the end the Sneeches learn

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a great lesson.... it just doesn't matter if you have a star or not. Everyone is the same!

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Four fun stories in one book. "The Sneetches" teaches how hurtful it is to others when you exclude them. It is also discourages buying silly, unnecessary things just because everyone else is. The story encourages empathy, inclusion, and independent thinking. "The Zax" is a story about stubbornness

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and how you can end up foolishly cutting off your nose to spite your face. "Too Many Daves" is a fun rhyme with silly names. "What Was I Scared Of" is a lesson in talking yourself down from the ledge of fear and anxiety.

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My really favorite favorite.

I couldn't do a book review and not have Dr.Seuss representing. I chose this book and not the several others I have read (I think I went through all of them on Dr.Seuss' birthday) because my kids love the walking pants story inside after the sneetches. Every time they see the pants their giggling.

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I love the star bellie sneetches story as well because of the great lesson behind it.

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Summary: The story is about the sneetches with stars and the sneetches without. Those with stars thought they were better and would not include those without in any of their games. Those without, went without a lot of the fun things and felt inferior. one day Mr. Mcmonkeymcbean comes up and tells

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them he has a star on/star off machine, so there is a lot of confusion and by the end no one knows who had stars and who didn't and so they all decide to live as though they are all the same.

Genre: this is a fantasy because there are no such things as sneetches. Also there is no such thing as a star on/off machine - unless you go to a tattoo parlor.

Theme: the theme of the story is rather evident. Everyone is equal. Just because one person may have a "star" does not mean they are better than another, they are still a sneetch and everyone should have equal opportunities.

Media: I believe it is watercolor/ink

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SUMMARY:
Creatures called SNEETCHES judge one another based upon the stars upon their bellies. Those with stars do not associate with those who are without. A sneaky man comes into town with machines that can either take off or add a star upon their bellies. It becomes a crazy mess, and all of the

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SNEETCHES finally realize inside they are all the same.
PERSONAL REACTION:
Again, Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite authors. He took a completely unique approach to racism, and I believe he did a fantastic job in illustrating to children that outside appearance doesn't matter. It is what is inside that counts.
EXTENSION IDEAS:
This could be a great addition to Martin Luther King Day. Explaining racism to smaller children is not a simple task, and I believe Dr. Seuss does a fantastic job at presenting it to a younger audience. This could also be a great way to prepare students for an addition to their classroom when dealing with special education. Explaining that even though someone might need a wheelchair, or extra equipment for everyday activities they are still the same inside.

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This book is a collection of several short stories that are fun for kids, and also address pressing social issues that are still relevant today. An excellent timeless classic that will always be relevant.

Ah, Sneetches.

This book comes with four Seuss stories. It is a mark of the man's skill that he was able to write a clear moral for each of them without being too preachy. (He didn't always succeed at this, which is why I refuse to buy a copy of the Lorax, but when he got it right he was SO

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right.)

The first story, Sneetches, is a pretty clear moral about discrimination. The ones with stars and the ones with "none upon thars" run back and forth and back and forth trying to have the right number of stars until they are all fleeced out of all their cash. And then they figure out that a Sneetch is a Sneetch, stars or no.

The second one, about the Zaxes, is what happens when a south-going Zax meets a north-going Zax and neither is willing to budge an inch. The world doesn't stop, no matter how long they stand there, and a whole city goes up while they glare at each other.

Mrs. McCave had 23 sons and she named them all Dave and if there's a moral here (other than "Knock it off with the zany theme naming!") I can't find it. Good fun, though :)

And finally, that one about the scary green pants that walk around with nobody in them and scare our narrator witless until he realizes they're as scared of him as he is of them.

They're fun, most of them have a good moral, and they're Seuss. What more can you ask for? (Note: Some kids might find that green pants story a little scary.)

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