Dr. Seuss and yogurt

We all have a health food that we know that we should be eating but that we just can't bring ourselves to ingest. If someone says they love all healthy foods, he or she is lying.  In the spirit of honesty, I am going to share my healthy food that I never eat if I can avoid it: yogurt.

I know that yogurt is full of wonderful bacteria that make digestive tracts happy.  I have tried many types of yogurt in an effort to make my own digestive tract happier.  I have tried plain yogurt, yogurt with chunks of fruit in it, yogurt from Greece, and chocolate mousse-flavored yogurt.  I find the last variety particularly annoying because, no matter what words you print on a container label, chocolate mousse is definitely.not.yogurt.  Period.

So what does yogurt have to do with children's books you ask?  To me, Dr. Seuss is like yogurt.

I know that Dr. Seuss was a brilliant genius whose writing style changed children's literature forever.  I know that his characters are immortal.  I know that his books can make children AND adults think about some pretty serious subjects.  Still, to me, Dr. Seuss is like yogurt.  When I was a child, I thought they were too silly and that the Cat in the Hat was scary.  As an adult, I find them difficult to read aloud.

I know A LOT of people (including my cousin Jennifer who is really, really smart - brilliant actually) who love Dr. Seuss.  For them, Dr. Seuss is chocolate mousse.  Some of us love some books, some of us hate the exact same books.  The passionate reactions that books can pull out of us are a major part of what makes reading such a wonderful activity.  If your child doesn't like a particular book or author, talk about the reasons behind his or her opinion.  Then share your opinion about the book or author with them.  Talking about books is almost as important to the process of becoming a lifelong reader as the actual reading itself.

Oh, and don't try to make me eat yogurt.