Green Eggs & Ham

Since everyone knows that I spoil my sister, I thought I would share this recent news while shopping for Christmas gifts.

Although my sister loves everything Disney/Dora, I decided this Christmas that I would buck the system of buying Disney/Dora and attempt to share classic gifts. While shopping for classic books, I decided to pick up Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs & Ham amongst other books I knew she did not own. Of course before going to Barnes & Noble, I decided to look online for the cheapest prices.

When I got to Amazon.com I was floored by this review of Green Eggs & Ham when I read this:

"If you're searching for a literary example of peer pressure, look no further than Dr. Seuss's subtly horrifying "Green Eggs and Ham." The "hero" of this tale, Sam-I-Am, spends the entirety of the book trying to force green eggs and ham upon a nameless skeptic. The "villain" turns down the offer several times, but Sam-I-Am persists, going so far as to follow him home in order to make him try the green eggs and ham. He uses several textbook methods of peer pressure, including the famous, "You'll never know that you don't like it if you don't try it." He refuses to respect the man's right to say no, and badgers him incessantly until he caves under the pressure.

What disgusts me most about the end of the story is that once the man tries the green eggs and ham, he loves them and is simply another addition to a pool of addicts. Dr. Seuss's tragic allegory for the rising drug use among young people that plagued his time period is brilliant, but certainly not appropriate for young children. Sam-I-Am is too easily twisted to become a hero, opening the antagonist's mind to new things, rather than a metaphor for Satan as I believe was originally intended.

In conclusion, do not read this book to your children unless you are willing to explain to them that people like Sam-I-Am should be avoided at all costs, and that they should never follow the path of the story's antagonist. "

Wow. I have no words at this moment.