There’s a chance- scratch that not even- you’ve definitely come across this book at some point in your childhood or as you have grown over the years. It’s practically inevitable, after all, given that this book is often regarded as one of the greatest children’s books that the author, Dr. Seuss, created. That book is none other than Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, which was released to the world on August 12th, 1960. Since then, by 2019, the book has sold a whopping 8 million copies worldwide, making it within the top five best-selling children’s books of all time. Since the book turns 62 years old today (wow), it’s worth going over not only the significance of the book but also how it impacted the book industry up to today.
The book is about Sam-I-Am’s attempts to get the narrator to try the green eggs and ham. Throughout the book, Sam-I-Am’s efforts range from offering the narrator various locations to dining partners to get the narrator to try the delicacy. Eventually, the narrator gives in. The narrator tries the green eggs and ham and ends up loving the food. The story teaches us the value of trying new things and being open to new experiences, even though initially, they might be off-putting to the eye.
Since its inception way back, Green Eggs and Ham has been hailed as one of the greatest children’s books in the book industry. Ranging from the likes of glowing reviews from teachers to organizations such as Scholastic and the NEA, there’s no doubt that the book has also inspired numerous children’s books to follow suit. Even to this day, the book is still read in numerous ways.
It’s also worth mentioning that Netflix has released an adaptation of Green Eggs and Ham, which is still going strong to this day. The second season was released in late 2021 and expected to continue with another season. With today being the day that this legendary children’s book was first released into the world, it’s a pretty good time to try out that green eggs and ham that you’ve been putting off for a while.
For more insightful children’s books, keep reading here!