Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Dr. Seuss presents three short stories, each highlighting a particular moral lesson, in this classic picture-book. In the eponymous Yertle the Turtle, that chelonian ruler attempts to make himself greater and greater by forcing his fellow turtles to pile themselves up in a great column, so that he can sit at the very top and survey his "kingdom." Like all tyrants, he is brought low again by the instability of his rule. In Gertrude McFuzz a young bird with only one feather envies a peer - the pretty Lolla-Lee-Lou - who has two, eventually pestering her doctor uncle into telling her how to increase her tail feathers. Unfortunately, Gertrude goes a little bit too far in her quest for beauty, and must pay the price in a painful way. show more Finally, in The Big Brag, a rabbit and bear get into a competition to see who is the better of the two, one demonstrating great hearing, another great smell, before a humble worm puts them both in their place, by pointing out how foolish they have been...

Originally published in 1958, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories was Dr. Seuss's fifteenth children's book, and is a title I recall very fondly, from my own childhood. I have vivid memories of reading and rereading this book, particularly the first two stories. I picked it up for this current reread as part of my recently begun Dr. Seuss retrospective, in which I will be reading and reviewing all forty-four of the author/artist's classic children's books, in chronological publication order. This is a project I have undertaken as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, McElligot's Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super!, On Beyond Zebra! and The Cat's Quizzer - by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, due to the outdated and potentially offensive elements that they contain. See my review of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, to be found HERE, for a fuller exploration of my thoughts on that matter.

Leaving that aside, Yertle the Turtle has always been one of my favorite Seuss books, and might have been one of my rare five-star titles as well, if I loved the third story here as much as I love the first two. The tale of Yertle and his delusions of grandeur has always struck me (and many other readers as well) as a meditation on the nature of political power, one which emphasizes that rulers can only rule with the consent of the governed, and that the high position of our elites, whether economic or political, often rests on the hard work of ordinary people. Yertle's eventual fall, both literally and figuratively, comes about because he forgets this essential truth, and because he is indifferent to the welfare of those ordinary people (or, in his case, turtles). One wishes that this lesson could be drummed into our current leadership, whatever their political stripe! The tale of Gertrude and her plume envy highlights, not just the folly of wishing to be like others, but the idea that often, simplicity is best. After all, what could be more beautiful than flying? And yet, because our avian heroine wishes for an ornate tail, one graced by countless colorful feathers, she finds herself unable to take to the skies. A useful reminder that superficial appearance fades into insignificance, compared to the desirability of health, and the full functioning of one's body. Finally, the story of the contest between the rabbit and bear points out the absurdity of imagining that our differences make us better (or worse) than one another. While one individual may be superior in one skill or ability, another may be better at some other. In the end, arguing about who is the "best," in terms of the overall value of the individual, is a waste of time.

All in all, a wonderful book, one which presents a number of valuable lessons for the child reader, packaged in such a way as to be entertaining, rather than preachy. While it's true that The Big Brag has never quite struck the same note with me, as the other two stories - I have few memories of it, from my girlhood, whereas I can recall reading and greatly enjoying the other two - overall Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories remains a personal favorite, and certainly deserves its status as a classic. The accompanying artwork has all of the humorous appeal one would expect from Seuss, and the stories and engaging and thought-provoking. show less

"Oh, Marvelous Me!" I truly love Yertle the Turtle. What a fantastic story told through a society of turtles. This story tells the tale of a dictator living off the backs of his people and only caring about his view from the top. In my opinion this story illustrates how power in a society lies with its people and those at the top are only there because of the hard work and sacrifice of those willing to support their society. But, a burp can shake the throne of a king and ultimately all creatures should be free.

I recently read that this one has appeared (as have six other of Geisel’s books) on banned books lists throughout the United States and Canada. This story ends with, “And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free. As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” What a great line and a wonderful message this is. Though this is one of Seuss’s shortest and most popular stories, his messages of authoritarianism and empowerment ring clear. Dr. Seuss admitted that his source for this story was the rise of Hitler (just like Yertle rose above the rest by stacking more and more turtles underneath him to gain more power).

This book is frequently banned based on Yertle’s story and Mack demanding that the turtles on the bottom of the tower have rights just like those at the top. By many, this book is seen as too political. However, reading with a modern eye, I think that story two, Gertrude McFuzz would be just as, if not more problematic. Gertrude is not happy with who they are. They want a second feather just like someone else has. And she gets a doc to give it to her. But then she regrets it in the end. I know this story is meant to show that children are perfect the way they are, but at the same time it could be seen as anti-trans, or as transition regret. This book is a product of it’s time. This book shouldn’t be banned, but maybe it should show more just be left in the area of nostalgia. show less

Yertle, king of the pond, stands on other turtles in an attempt to reach higher than the moon! But, the bottom turtle burps and he falls into the mud.

I found this book to be quite deep for being a Dr. Seuss book. Yertle is quite tyrannical in my view! He is very greedy and eventually falls from the top when the bottom turtle burps. Maybe children won't understand this--but I like that behind the silly poetry there are deep messages!

YERTLE THE TURTLE by Dr. Seuss tells the tale of a greedy king named Yertle. He reigns over all that he sees and one day he decides that what he sees is not enough. So he commands all of the other turtles to build a tall stack on which he can be at the top and look out over a greater distance. Though he is satisfied for a bit, he becomes greedy again and calls for more turtles added to the stack. Eventually, the turtles on the bottom become too tired and the stack is shaken, causing King Yertle to come crashing down into the pond. At the end of the book, all he has left to rule over is the mud and "all the turtles are free as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." I loved this final line, as it introduces the message of freedom. show more This story also carries a strong moral lesson about greed and power. I enjoyed the illustrations because they were very descriptive of what was going on in the text on each particular page. On a basic level, this book could be used to teach students about rhyming. But also, I think it would be a good tool to discuss the topic of power in society and hurting others to get what you want; I could ask students to brainstorm instances in which they have seen these themes played out in real life. Although this story is pretty easy to read and could be used with young children, I would probably use it with somewhat older students so that the class can have deeper discussions. show less

Yertle the Turtle is king of all he sees. Everything is going well until he decides he cannot see enough. He orders a few other turtles to stand underneath him so he can extend his rule. He soon becomes obsessed with power, adding more and more turtles to the pile. What happens when the one on the bottom gets tired of being stepped on?
I adore this book. It's wonderful and opens up a dialogue with children about a very complicated subject. It takes a sophisticated concept and simplifies it to an easily grasped moral. The rhyming is, of course, wonderful. This is one of my all-time favorite books. It's long so it makes a better read aloud for kindergarten and up. 2nd grade and up should be able to read it independently. This is another show more great text for engaging in complex subjects with low readers in the upper grades. show less