When I was a child, my mom had borrowed me a library book called "Green Eggs and Ham." I remember very vividly my impression on this book after reading it - I didn't like it, for 2 reasons. 1) The look of the characters are really bizarre. 2) I had no idea what the book was about! The first part of the book begins like this:
I am Sam
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.
Would you like them
Here or there?
etc.
(Click here to see complete poem)
As I was reading the book, many many questions crossed my "Why are the eggs green?...Are they rotten?..They must taste disgusting!...Why is the character in the book called Sam I Am?...Is he trying to say 'I am Sam'?...Is it his name? Why did this Sam force his friend to eat the green eggs?...Why did this friend like it in the end?..." I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED AFTER READING THAT BOOK!!
This very special memory from my reading all came back to me when I ran into this fabulous Dr. Seuss Website (The Seussville). So I looked up "Green Eggs and Ham" on Wikipedia and found out some interesting facts about this book. Dr. Seuss's publisher, wagered $50 that Seuss could not write a book using only fifty different words. Dr. Seuss won by writing "Green Eggs and Ham."
After all these year, I finally discover that "Green Eggs and Ham" is actually a poem - in fact, it is a "Beginner Book" in Dr. Seuss series. The poem is presented in the form of a cumulative tale. I just read the poem again and am starting to appreciate the few and easy vocabulary for children, yet I still find the character design very bizarre!! Is it the words or the illustration that has made this book one of the best-selling children book today? (Even a movie was made!!)
Please don't be intimidated by the word "poetry" - it is simply storytelling with a particular rhythm and meter. Children understand poems and they love them! (not sure about "Green Eggs and Ham" though...ahem...subjectively speaking...=p) Other then Dr. Seuss, there are many great poet who create for children! Here are a few sites that you may be interested in looking at:
1) Reading Planet (Poems for 3-14, I like the game "Poetry Splatter")
2) Poetry for kids (Funny poems, poetry games, links, etc)
