Customer Reviews

The Butter Battle Book: (New York Times Notable Book of the Year) (Classic Seuss)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Before I get into my review, let me start by saying I missed the Cold War, except for in school history books. That being said, this is an excellent and thought-provoking book for 'kids' of all ages.

This book is about 2 groups, the Yooks and the Zooks, who live separated only by a wall, and are very similar except for the way they butter their bread. This leads to a battle involving constantly bigger weapons, until they come up with the 'big-boy boomeroo', capable of destroying each other's lands. Of course, the book ends before the story does, leaving you guessing on exactly what would happen.

I went through a few stages with this book, making it even better to think about. The first time I heard it, I was about 5, and upset that there was no 'ending'. After a few more times, I decided to use my imagination to create my own ending, which is what many children will do if encouraged by a parent reading with them. As I got older, I realized there was no ending because if it was real, you really wouldn't know how it ended until it happened. This book also made me think about how small differences in people can cause such big problems if you are not open minded. (That was after a few years - in the beginning I wondered why the Zooks didn't just turn their bread upside down and everyone would be the same).

The Butter Battle Book is a wonderful lesson, written in a way that even a child could understand the concept of war, see how differences in people can cause foolish problems, and use their imaginations. I would recommend it to anyone.

Dr. Seuss is a fantastic author; he has imagination, story-telling abilities, and a wonderful and clever sense of political activism. I was telling my history teacher about all the not-so-hidden political messages in all of his works and this work is the perfect example of Dr. Seuss's writing style. The Butter Battle Book has many different levels for what is so often called a children's book from an acclaimed so-called children's author. The battle between Yooks and Zooks over which way butter goes on bread gives children a good, simple, but true story about dealing with petty differences in a constructive way. Otherwise, bad things can happen, like war. That meaning is very good for children to learn and this is a great book to teach kids with. However, adults reading this book can see the obvious historical parallels and the deeper implications of the story line. The pettiness behind the conflict of the Cold War is Dr. Seuss's vehicle for conveying the astounding destructive potential behind a war where the enemies lose sight of their true goals and meaninglessly try to 'out do' each other. The war ends up getting fought for the wrong reasons and something that we will forever regret and can never take back may happen. This is a very real danger and the prejudice attached to battles like the one in this book eat away at our morals, our societies, and our motives. Dr. Seuss has done the world a wonderful lesson by showing this to children and adults alike.

This is one of the best Dr. Seuss books ever! I think that The Butter Battle Book and The Lorax are two of Suess's most important works. If you want to get a kid thinking on a larger, more global scale read this book to them. Dr. Seuss combines his usual imaginative poetry and illistrations with a serious, real life problem. I had a LOT of his books in my room as a kid, but this one sticks out in my head as one of the best and most important.

Yooks and Zooks having a war. They are having a war over: which way do you eat bread with butter?Yooks eat their bread with the butter side up. Zooks eat their bread with the butter side down. The book is very hilarious, with full page color. Great for All Ages! Than-x Dr. Seuss! Another good book by Dr. Seuss: Horray For Diffendoofer Day!

Even at 20 years old, I still love Seuss. The silly word play always made me laugh, and I always figured the good Dr. was sending us messages on more levels than we could comprehend. The first time I picked this book up I was expecting a clever, bouncy, colorful edition of seuss, however, it just scared me. The message is very clear, and very startling. Maybe it is a good book for children to read, after all, they are the future. But then again, Suess only wrote 30% of his material throughout his carreer for children. I really love this book.

This book is the best satire of an arms race that I have ever seen.

It's effectiveness is enhanced because it all starts out at a very silly level of a border guard using his Snick-Berry switch. Then things go wrong because "a very rude Zook by the name of VanItch snuck up and slingshotted my Snick-Berry switch!" The border guard for the Yooks tells his superior. The scientists get to work, and soon an improved weapon (a Triple-Sling Jigger) is available. The Zooks counter again, and so on it goes. The names, characteristics, and illustrations of the weapons are hilarious. Then, just when you are enjoying the folly, the scientists come up with the BITSY BIG-BOY BOOMEROO, which fits in the palm of a hand. Everyone has to get into a shelter underground because it is so dangerous. "'Grandpa!' I shouted. 'Be careful Oh, gee! Who's going to drop it? Will you . . . ? Or will he . . . ? . . . We'll see. We will see . . . .'" To go from that silliness to that horror in such a short number of pages is an amazingly effective job of story telling.

The book also explores how such conflicts are caused by lack of communication. There's a wall between the Yooks and the Zooks. Over the years, it gets higher and higher. So they can see a little about each other, but not talk. From what they see, they are astonished that one side eats their bread and butter with the butter-side up, while the other eats with the butter-side down. I thought that was a pretty interesting way to capture the kind of small differences that often lead to border wars. Consider the former Yugoslavian states.

The primary drawback of such a story for children is that it is a chilling tale. Visions of mutual destruction are not exactly what I would want to read to a small child just before bed. However, it may be appropriate for some children who are very violent in their play and need to be reined in a little. I would suggest that it be read early in the day, however, even in such a case. For children who are sensitive and easily frightened, this book should probably be read much later in life than age 8. If this were a movie, I would suggest at least a PG-13 rating, and possibly an R.

Definitely, every adult should read this book. We still live in a world where these issues are current. I hope that someday this book will seem quaint and obsolete as a characterization of human beings. Until it does, the book should be sharing its message broadly.

After you have finished enjoying the book, I suggest that you consider how you can help promote international understanding. Perhaps you can at least find someone to correspond with by e-mail on the other side of the world. Better yet, can you lend a helping hand somehow?

Live long and prosper . . . because of friendly, cooperative competition!

"Butter Battle" tells the story of the Yooks and Zooks, two identical races living on two sides of a high wall, differing only in how they butter their bread. The book is about passing on prejudice and hatred to children, when grandfather reveals the terrible bread-buttering practices of those who live on the other side. It's about hair-trigger readiness for war, and the arms race. All this, with Seuss' rhyming prose and vivid, funny illustrations.

"Butter Battle" was a departure for Dr. Seuss, a serious book about the nature of war and the nuclear arms race. Perhaps he wrote it with the Cold War in mind, and some object that the book trivializes the nature of that conflict. But our history since 1984 provides too many examples of what Seuss was talking about--the Balkan conflicts, India-Pakistan, the Middle East. The book isn't widely available (except on Amazon!) but it's certainly worth tracking down. I used it in an "English as a Second Language" class on discrimination and prejudice. They loved it!

The Butter Battle Book, written by Dr. Seuss is an exellent display of his own thoughts on the nuclear war. This book helps inform young audiences about our nation's history in a way that they can understand. Although this is a childen's book, it is great reading for all agaes, and really hits home for those who have memories of the Cold War. The disagreement between the Yooks and the Zooks expresses how they both think bread should be buttered. One "butter-side up" and the other "butter-side down." The controversey, turning into a battle shows Dr. Seuss' dislike for generic disputes. The Yooks and the Zooks hurry to develop more powerful weapons, until; both groups take it to an extreme. The underlying theme to the book is the absuridity of battle. Dr. Seuss tries to convey that people must overcome their pride to live in peace. Memories of the Cold War like the wall dividing the Yooks and Zooks add to the realistic element to The Butter Battle Book.

Children need this book NOW!
Some reviewers feel it is outdated!?!? Look around you.
This book couldn't be more appropriate now, as our children ask questions about, and struggle to understand, war and conflict between peoples.
Lessons about what war is, and what war isn't, are always important, even during times of peace.

Some reviewers rejoice in our almighty military machine, others recognize this as an allegory about the potential dangers of military proliferation.
Read it for yourself. This is not just a children's book. Dr. Seuss has provided a tool to start a dialogue between peoples, young and old, about the all too high cost of conflict.

More importantly, use this book as a starting point to help children understand our world, and some of the difficulties between people.
They need more from you than just the birds and the bees . . .

This book describes the conflict between those who eat theirtoast butter-side-up and those who eat it butter-side-down.This paradigm for the cold war serves as a useful lesson in peace and as a warning of the risks of 'deterrence' as a defense policy.