Green Eggs and Ham
Encyclopedia
Green Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss
, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly
, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book (novel) of all time.
The book contains only 50 different words (shown below).
There are two main characters: "Sam-I-Am" (or simply Sam) and an unnamed character.
Throughout the book, Sam tries to encourage the unnamed character to try a dish consisting of green eggs and ham. The unnamed character refuses to taste the dish, insisting that he would not like it. Sam then goes through an assortment of locations (house, car, tree, train, box, boat) and dining partners (fox, goat, mouse) trying to persuade the unnamed character to eat the dish.
The conclusion of the tale occurs when the unnamed character finally gives in and tries the green eggs and ham on the condition that Sam leaves him alone. Upon doing so, he realizes that he does, in fact, like green eggs and ham, and would eat them in all the places and with all the dining partners suggested throughout the book.
The story closes with the character thanking Sam-I-Am for his persistence.
The vocabulary of the text consists of just fifty different words and was the result of a bet between Seuss and Bennett Cerf
(Dr. Seuss's publisher) that Seuss (after completing The Cat in the Hat using 225 words) could not complete an entire book using so few words.
The 50 are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.
conducted an online survey of children and teachers, seeking the 100 most popular children's books. On both the children's and the teachers' lists, Green Eggs and Ham was ranked third, just above another Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat
.
in the mail from prison
er Charles Jay Wolff who was protesting the prison diet. Muirhead ordered the egg destroyed as he stated in his judgment:
In a Mormon journal, possibly parodying arguments for the Book of Mormon
, it has been suggested that, within Green Eggs and Ham, "the rich presence of complex chiasmi, multiple Hebraicisms, Israelite cultural references, and Old Testament themes supports the theory that Green Eggs and Ham is, in fact, an ancient text of Semitic origin. Theodor Geisel... clearly is not the author of the book... No doubt, inspired scholars will soon research and discover the answers to these and many other questions as this complicated but vital narrative finally receives the serious academic scrutiny it so richly merits."
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book (novel) of all time.
The book contains only 50 different words (shown below).
Storyline
The story is told wholly through images and rhyming dialogue; there is no descriptive narrative or analysis.There are two main characters: "Sam-I-Am" (or simply Sam) and an unnamed character.
Throughout the book, Sam tries to encourage the unnamed character to try a dish consisting of green eggs and ham. The unnamed character refuses to taste the dish, insisting that he would not like it. Sam then goes through an assortment of locations (house, car, tree, train, box, boat) and dining partners (fox, goat, mouse) trying to persuade the unnamed character to eat the dish.
The conclusion of the tale occurs when the unnamed character finally gives in and tries the green eggs and ham on the condition that Sam leaves him alone. Upon doing so, he realizes that he does, in fact, like green eggs and ham, and would eat them in all the places and with all the dining partners suggested throughout the book.
The story closes with the character thanking Sam-I-Am for his persistence.
Lexicon
Green Eggs and Ham is one of Seuss's "Beginner Books", written in a very simple vocabulary for beginning readers.The vocabulary of the text consists of just fifty different words and was the result of a bet between Seuss and Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was a publisher and co-founder of Random House. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances in the panel game show What's My Line?.-Biography:Bennett Cerf...
(Dr. Seuss's publisher) that Seuss (after completing The Cat in the Hat using 225 words) could not complete an entire book using so few words.
The 50 are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.
Reception
Green Eggs and Ham was first published on August 12, 1960,[It was 50 years to the day that Green Eggs And Ham went on display http://gnews.com/happy-birthday-sam-i-am-50-years-green-eggs-and-ham-16201055080310], Gnews. Accessed on 12 August 2010. and became the fourth-best selling English-language children's hardcover book of all time. In 1999, the National Education AssociationNational Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
conducted an online survey of children and teachers, seeking the 100 most popular children's books. On both the children's and the teachers' lists, Green Eggs and Ham was ranked third, just above another Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
.
Adaptations and tributes
On September 21, 2007, U.S. District Court Judge James Muirhead used Green Eggs and Ham in his court ruling after receiving an eggEgg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
in the mail from prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
er Charles Jay Wolff who was protesting the prison diet. Muirhead ordered the egg destroyed as he stated in his judgment:
- I do not like eggs in the file.
- I do not like them in any style.
- I will not take them fried or boiled.
- I will not take them poached or broiled.
- I will not take them soft or scrambled,
- Despite an argument well-rambled.
- No fan I am of the egg at hand.
- Destroy that egg! Today! Today!
- Today I say!
- Without delay!
In a Mormon journal, possibly parodying arguments for the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, it has been suggested that, within Green Eggs and Ham, "the rich presence of complex chiasmi, multiple Hebraicisms, Israelite cultural references, and Old Testament themes supports the theory that Green Eggs and Ham is, in fact, an ancient text of Semitic origin. Theodor Geisel... clearly is not the author of the book... No doubt, inspired scholars will soon research and discover the answers to these and many other questions as this complicated but vital narrative finally receives the serious academic scrutiny it so richly merits."