Show & Tell Friday

It's time for show and tell Friday!

Kelli over at There is no place like home hosts it. Click on the above picture to find out more :)

This week I decided to share a childhood favorite. I have a lot of the books that my mom used to read to me as a child and I keep them on my bookshelves with all the other books that I've read over the years.They're a little tattered, but that's because they were read over and over. Perhaps even a little abused, but I think that's normal for most childhood books. Let's see if you recognize which book was my favorite...

"I am Sam
Sam I am"

"That Sam I am!
That Sam I am!
I do not like
that Sam I am!"

"Do you like
green eggs and ham?"
"I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like
green eggs and ham."

And so goes the story of little Sam-I-am trying to get this grumpy character to eat some Green Eggs and Ham. I still have the book, but somewhere down the line I lost the cover.Ooooo...this is my favorite part...

"Would you eat them
in a box?
Would you eat them
with a fox?"
He gets really angry at this point!

"Not in a box.
Not with a fox.
Not in a house.
Not with a mouse.
I would not eat them here or there.
I would not eat them anywhere.
I would not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them Sam-I-am."The chase goes on and on until finally...

"You do not like them
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.".... after a long battle and falling off a boat into the water, the grumpy character gives up and takes a bite.

"Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat..."
"I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!"All he had to do was take a bite and he would have avoided all of the arguing, but then we all wouldn't have had as much fun, now would we? ;)

Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham has always been my favorite book and I can almost recite the whole thing without looking at the words. I gave a copy to each of my children when they were born and anytime someone has a baby, it's always my first gift to them. In fact, when I found out my brother Kent and his wife Jessica were going to have a baby, the first thing I did after hearing the news, was hop online and order a copy for my future nephew.

I don't exactly know why I loved this book so much as a child. I think it must be the humor of the chase that Sam-I-am goes through to get this character to eat something. Now that I'm older, I can see what Dr. Seuss was getting at. He just wanted kids to try a bite of something new before they decided they didn't like it. As parents we can all understand this and I think it's a better way of trying to get your kids to eat something, rather than telling them that there are starving children in Africa. How many mom's have said that to their kids? And how many kids have thought to themselves (or said out loud) "Well, then send it to them!" Dr. Seuss took something that every parent goes through and made it fun.

I find humor in the fact that these days it's Annie that has turned into Sam-I-am. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and tries to get Rich to try her creations. They play a toned down version of Green Eggs and Ham as she persuades him to eat it. It's actually very amusing and I didn't realize the similarities until I pulled out this book to share it with you.

Theodor (Ted) Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904 and wrote over 40 children's books. All of them were wonderful, but Green Eggs and Ham will always be my favorite. He left us on September 24th 1991, but the magic of his writing will live forever in the hearts of children all over the world.

Especially in mine....

Have a wonderful Friday!

hugs,
rue :)