Dr. Seuss and Life Lessons

The Lorax.  

When the once-ler came to a place, it was a lovely place, filled with Truffula Trees of great beauty.  So entranced was the Once-ler that he cut a tree down and knitted a Thneed - "an odd-looking but versatile garment that he insisted "everyone needs."

Eventually, the Once-ler cut down all the trees, leaving only a dark, smoggy, world where nothing grew.

Lesson: Take care of the environment, renewable sources, etc.

The Sneetches:

In a world far away, full of glorious beaches, lived wonderful creatures, known as the Sneetches.

One group of them had stars on their bellies "stars upon thars" and another group did not.  The sneetches with stars on their bellies would not associate with those without stars, believing they were inferior.

A 'fix-it-up chap named Sylvester McMonkey McBean' told the Sneetches without stars upon thars to never fear, that he had a 'star-on' machine and that they could go through for the measly sum of $3.00 each.

Now that everyone had a star, the original star bellied sneetches were angry.  But Mr McBean said that he could remove their star for the paltry sum of $10.00

The sneetches continue to run through both machine until no one knows who is who or who had a star.  Of course, now they are out of money and Mr. McBean leaves them alone.

Moral: People are the same inside, regardless of how they look outside (Man, we need this one now for sure)

The Zax

A story about a South going Zax who meets up with a North going Zax, and both get caught up in their "trax".

"I'm a North going Zax and I always go North, not an inch to the East not an inch to the West.  Now out of my way"

"Well...

Of course the world didn't stand still.  The world grew.

In a couple of years, the new highway came through

And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax

And left them there, standing un-budge in their tracks."

Moral: "stay the course" may not be the best strategy.

The Butter Battle Book

It all starts with a man taking his grandson to see the wall that separates the Yooks (US) and the Zooks (USSR).  A battle that started over which side of the bread should be buttered.

Each side keeps making larger and larger weapons until the "smallest and deadliest" is finally developed (A nuke).  The story ends with both sides threatening to blow the other up and neither side willing to back down.

Moral: Arms races are unwinnable.

Green Eggs and Ham  Moral: Try something before you say you don't like it.

Yertle the Turtle

He is "king of all he sees" so he makes his Turtles build a tower of turtles so he goes higher and higher.

Eventually, the turtle at the bottom says:

"I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights."

When Yertle refuses to listen to him, he demands that the pile go higher and higher, until it finally topples, with a burp by the turtle at the bottom.  And the story ends:

"And the turtles, of course...  all the turtles are free, As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be."

Moral: Everyone (not just the wealthy) deserve rights.  

Well, please add to this, I think Geisel was a genius, and I know he drew quite a few political cartoons in his day as well.