The Sneetches is a lesser-known gem in the sea of amazing Dr. Seuss books. It is not only entertaining, but it also teaches two very important lessons!
This book above has the The Sneetches story as well as a few others that follow it. But we’re just focusing on The Sneetches in the following description.
The Sneetches is a book about 2 different types of Sneetches: Plain Sneetches and Sneetches with Stars on their bellies. The Star-Belly Sneetches think that they are better than the plain sneetches and often exclude them from playing ball and participating in marshmallow roasts.
Luckily, Sylvester McMonkey McBean rides into his town with his fancy machine and convinces the Plain Sneetches they need to make a change. For a small fee, all of the Plain Sneetches can have stars stamped on their bellies as well. Of course, all of the Plain Sneetches pay their $3 to be accepted by their peers.
But the Sneetches who had the stars on their bellies first begin to grumble. They don’t want to be like the Plain Sneetches who now have stars on their bellies because they are still the self-proclaimed best Sneetches and the others are the worst.
Again, McBean comes to the rescue and convinces all the Sneetches (with Stars on their bellies first) to have them washed off using his fancy machine…this time for $10 each.
So begins the horrible mess of paying gobs and gobs of money to get stars put on and turning around and getting them washed off. Sylvester McMonkey McBean rides out of town with a wagon full of money, thinking that the Sneetches will never change and accept one another, while the Sneetches are left to ponder a very important lesson.
“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.”
The two lessons that can be learned from this story are:
1. Accept people for who they are, even if they might be different from you.
2. Don’t let people tell you that you need to change what makes you “you” (unless it’s God, of course, through the wisdom of His Word).
The boys really enjoyed this story and I thought it would be fun to play a “Simon Says” game of sorts. I gave each of the boys a star and we played “McBean says”.
“McBean says: Raise your star in the air.”
“McBean says: Put the star on your nose.”
“McBean says: Put the star on your bellies like the Sneetches.”
“Put the star on your head. Uh-oh! I didn’t say ‘McBean says’”!
This, of course, would be a fun game to play with a class full of children. All of the Dr. Seuss activities really make me miss teaching in the classroom…good thing I have these two little guinea pigs that love to read and play fun games!
