In the faraway mind of a man named Seuss
There toddled three tales every Shmooper could use.
"Yertle the Turtle" is the name of the first,
The tale of a king with unquenchable thirst
For power and greatness and laser-like sight,
Caring zilch for the turtles he crushed with his might.
Story two brings a plea from a prideful young bird,
"More tails on my bottom!" from Gertrude was heard.
You know what happens to birds that are vain?
They snag on thick rocks causing oodles of pain.
Lastly we come to one rabbit and bear
Who stick out their chests and brag and compare.
We bet you can guess what goes down in the end:
They're laughably bested by their little worm friend.
Now one thing to know when you read this collection
These tales run way deeper upon some reflection.
Keep those ears open, stay tuned for the voice
That screams from these pages, "Give the small guys a choice!"
No wonder this book had its own bit of scandal
Politically speaking, it's a whole lot to handle.
But for Seuss it's no bother, it's kind of the norm
To slip in great meaning right under the storm.
There were many a gale back in one nine five eight
And this book hit shelves not a moment too late.
So buckle up, Shmoopers, what will and what may.
Let's play with the turtles. That's the Seuss way!
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories covers just about the entire breadth of human themes. Want to talk about vanity? Give "Gertrude McFuzz" a whirl. Want to show your kid why no one likes a blowhard? Flip no further than "The Big Brag."
But if you're going to read these books for one reason and one reason only, it should be the character Yertle. You know—the turtle. Don't be fooled by his silly name. He's not shaped like a yurt (um, actually…) and he's not about to go all turtle power on you.
Yertle is a bully. And the only way to unbully-fy him is to stand up to the man—um, turtle. Bottom line: someone who's selfish and crazy can only stand on top of the other turtles if they let him.
Why is this something you should care about? Because no matter how good you are at sequestering your kid in a bubble, they're bound to encounter a bully like Yertle. They're not just going to find them on the playground. They're going to see them running companies and governments, and it's important to know what to do.
You know how we know this? Because Dr. Seuss modeled Yertle the Turtle after Hitler. Yep. A good tagline for this book could have been, "Finally, a fun, colorful, non-traumatizing way to teach your kid about dictators!"
Oh, relax. It doesn't get that serious. In fact, there are many ways you could read the story without broaching the dictator factor. This is the gift Seuss has given us: a full exploration of humanity through rhymes and pictures and jokes and just a dash of potty humor into which we can dig as far as we like—or not. What could be better?
Why Your Kids Should Care
Okay, it's time for you to have the Special Talk with your kid. No, not that talk—a talk about Dr. Seuss and why they should give the Doc a shot.
It all goes back to a friend of ours named Moop. Actually, more like a "friend" of ours. After all, Moop isn't all that nice. She's the girl on the playground that tells everyone else what to do. She decides what games will be played and who's going to do what and she doesn't care what anybody else thinks about it. If one of the other kids brings in a special treat like fruit snacks, she decides how it's all going to be divided up, and, shhhhh she sneaks more for herself.
We're guessing that even if your kid doesn't know our friend Moop, your kid knows Moop. They've got a friend like this, and we're betting they keep hanging out with her even though they don't like her that much anyway.
Yertle the Turtle is all about big kids with big voices who boss everyone around. And you know what? It tells kids how to deal with them. And bonus: this story comes in a collection starring two other kids your child is probably looking how to handle, too.
So, why should your kid care about Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories? Because kids—um, turtles—like Yertle shouldn't get to rule the roost just because they have louder voices than everybody else. Right? Right.
FAQs
The eponymous story revolves around Yertle the Turtle, the king of the pond. Dissatisfied with the stone that serves as his throne, he commands the other turtles to stack themselves beneath him so that he can see farther and expand his kingdom. However, the stacked turtles are in pain.
What is the plot of Yertle the turtle and other stories? ›
It is about Yertle, the King of the Turtles. He enjoys his pond and effectively governs it, but power corrupts, and Yertle craves more. He constructs his throne, confident that he will be able to rule over everything he can see. His throne, however, is made of turtles.
What is the theme of the book Yertle the Turtle and other stories? ›
"Yertle the Turtle" has variously been described as "autocratic rule overturned", "a reaction against the fascism of World War II", and "subversive of authoritarian rule".
What is the moral of the story of Yertle the Turtle? ›
Yertle the Turtle was one of my favorite books because it helped reinforce the idea that we all have a responsibility to stand up for ourselves and others. Mack stood up for himself and all his turtle friends so they could all go back to being happy in their turtle pond. Dr.
What is the political message of Yertle the Turtle? ›
Yertle the Turtle
The book is about how all creatures should be free. Ultimately, the dictatorial leader, symbolizing Hitler, falls. The book was removed from many schools for being 'too political'.
What is the main plot of Turtles All the Way Down? ›
The story centers on 16-year-old Aza Holmes, an American high school student with OCD and anxiety, and her search for a fugitive billionaire who happens to be a neighbor's father. She is grieving the loss of her own father while a budding relationship grows between her and the billionaire's son.
What is the plot of the turtle boy? ›
12 year-old Will's dad died when he was four, he's got hardly any friends and school bullies call him Turtle Boy not because he loves turtles (which he does) but because of a facial difference that is causing him to feel more and more self conscious as he grows older.
What is the Marxist criticism of Yertle the Turtle? ›
MARXIST CRITICISM
power varies directly with his range of vision: if Yertle can see it, he believes he owns it. To see (and, therefore, to own) more and more of the area surrounding his pond, Yertle forces other turtles to allow him to stand on their backs.
What is the lesson of the story turtle and rabbit? ›
This intriguing story of The Tortoise and The Hare is about a race between a tortoise and a hare, which teaches us the lesson that one can achieve success by doing things slowly and steadily, rather than by acting carelessly and hastily.
What are the themes in turtles all the way down? ›
The main message of Turtles All the Way Down explores the complexities of mental illness and the importance of self-acceptance.
Why did the other turtles obey his commands? It appears that the turtles obey because of he is recognized as “king”. There may be a fear of punishment.
Did Yertle the Turtle use his power responsibly? ›
Yertle the Turtle doesn't use his power for good. It means that with great power comes responsibility .
Who does Mack represent? ›
In the story, Mack represents the German society. He stands for the German people who follow Hitler's rules and beliefs due to fear.
Was Dr. Seuss Religious? ›
Geisel was raised as a Missouri Synod Lutheran and remained in the denomination his entire life.
How is the story of the turtle an allegory for human struggle? ›
John Steinbeck uses the turtle as a symbol to represent Tom Joad, his family, and the human race because the turtle is a prime example of an animal that struggles to survive amid all the obstacles life throws at it.
What is Dr. Seuss most famous quotes? ›
Dr. Seuss Quotes
- Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ...
- Today you are you! ...
- You have brains in your head. ...
- The more that you read, the more things you will know. ...
- I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. ...
- A person's a person, no matter how small. ...
- Today was good. ...
- Only you can control your future.
The plot is about how the hare (rabbit) makes fun of the slow turtle. The turtle challenges the faster hare to a race. ... Thinking he can easily win, the hare stops running and decides to take a nap before finishing the race. The hare sleeps so long, and the slow turtle eventually wins the race.
What is the plot of the back of the turtle? ›
A conscientious scientist, Gabriel, returns to his home to commit suicide when he discovers that his invention, used indiscriminately as a defoliant, has killed off his entire native reserve somewhere in British Columbia. All the birds and turtles have left Samaritan Bay as a result of this environmental calamity.
What is the synopsis of Old Turtle and the Broken Truth? ›
Old Turtle shows the girl the missing part of the Truth, and the Little Girl returns with it to her people. Then the pieces are brought together, and the broken Truth is made whole at last: YOU ARE LOVED... AND SO ARE THEY. Then the people and the earth are healed.
What is the main idea of one tiny turtle? ›
The main idea of the text is about the life cycle of the Loggerhead Turtle, range and diversity of travel, and return to birthplace to lay eggs. As this is a narrative nonfiction text, some of the typical text features such as table of contents, diagrams, or text boxes are not included.
