The Sneetches and Other Stories

The Sneetches and Other Stories

4.31 of 5 stars 4.31  ·  rating details  ·  30,517 ratings  ·  500 reviews
This classic collection of stories by Dr. Seuss includes "The Sneetches," "The Zax," "Too Many Daves," and "What Was I Scared Of?" Beloved by generations, these four wildly whimsical tales touch on moral issues, and while they can be read for sheer pleasure, they are also ideal for sparking conversations about tolerance, the need for compromise, and fear of the unknown. Pe...more
Hardcover, 65 pages
Published August 12th 1961 by Random House Books for Young Readers (first published 1961)
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Charlotte's Web by E.B. WhiteThe Giving Tree by Shel SilversteinGreen Eggs and Ham by Dr. SeussThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. LewisWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
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Community Reviews

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Ronyell
I was reading this book for the Readers Against Prejudice and Racism Club and it was fantastic!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

I have been reading many of Dr. Seuss’ books ever since I was a child, but out of all the books I have read from him, this book was the most effective book I have ever read! “The Sneetches and Other Stories” is a short collection of stories by Dr. Seuss where each of them detailed how to accept other people for who they are. “The Sneetches and Other Stories” is a...more
Doug
Dec 07, 2007 Doug rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Humans
Why 5 stars? Why rate a children's book? Because there is still prejudice in the world, that's why. If we got the world leaders together, and brainwashed them with this book, war would disappear. Segregation, discrimination, prejudice, sophistry, bias and artificial prominance would go away. In his unique way, Theodore Giesel points out the folly of judging anybody by physical characteristics, or any other inaccurate method.

Lessons learned from this book:

Whether we have stars or not, no matter t...more
Julie (Mom2lnb)
Dec 14, 2012 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Fun Children's Books w/an Underlying Message
Recommended to Julie (Mom2lnb) by: Readers Against Prejudice & Racism
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I've been a huge fan of Dr. Seuss since I was a child, but until I read The Lorax for the first time a few years ago, I had never realized that he was an author with the heart of an activist. Much like The Lorax, The Sneetches and Other Stories tackles mature themes in a non-threatening, even humorous, way that kids can understand. All four stories in the book have the underlying message of tolerance, acceptance and compromise with those who are different from us or with...more
Brad
The Sneetches is my absolute favourite Seuss story. The rhythm trumps all other Seuss stories, and when I am reading this out loud to my kids I joyfully shift from Star-belly Sneetch voices to Plain-belly Sneetch voices to Sylvester McMonkey McBean's voice without even a hint of having to think about the shift. Seuss's rhythm invites that. I can speed up to warp, I can slow down and leave an octo-pregnant pause, and still the rhythm is flawless. Plus, the story's pretty meaningful too. This is t...more
Missy
This is my favorite book to read to my kids. It has "Sneetches" that teaches that "No kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches." Then there's "The Zax" that teaches us how unproductive it is to never compromise. "Too Many Daves" - Scott and I talked about this one last night and how it is a fun little story, but doesn't have and underlying message. Then we decided that it does have a message. It's about making all of your kids feel special and letting them be different. Then there is "What Was...more
Samantha
A collection of short stories.

The Sneetches- A story that explores racism using the Sneetch community who is divided between those who have stars upon their bellies and those who do not. When a traveling salesman comes to town the Sneetches are offered the chance to change their stars for the right price. When all their money is spent they are left standing mixed up on the beach, but this fact unites them and they finally embrace one another.

I have always been drawn to this story. It might be pe...more
Cruth
The Sneetches and Other Stories

Author / Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
First Published: 1961

Illustrated with Dr Seuss' trademark colour and joy, as well as his lyrical, rhythmic, rhyming narrative, Dr Seuss explores equality in four stories.

The Sneetches
Racial equality, bullying and conformity are explored as the Star-Belly Sneetches and Plain Belly Sneetches learn it isn't what you look like that matters,
The Zax
One person is not more important than the other. When the north-bound Zax meets the south-bou...more
Tanvir Haque
This book is appropriate for EYFS and Years 1 & 2; that is to say children aged 3-7. Wow! This is a great book of children’s literature. Having been my first book of Dr. Seuss, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Now I see what all the fuss is about! Simply a great piece of children’s fiction with a nice moral at the ending, The Sneetches is about a race of strange looking, yellow coloured creatures, with big fat bellies that live near water, on beaches. At the beginning of the story, some o...more
Isaac
The Star-Belly Sneetches believe the tiny stars on their chests mean they are far superior to their Plain-Belly counterparts. They walk around with their heads held high, barely acknowledging the Plain-Belly Sneetches. But with the help of the crafty Sylvester McMonkey McBean the Plain-Belly Sneetches discover a way to even the score. Eventually all the Sneetches have to learn the hard way that appearance isn't quite as important as they first thought.

I have fond memories of reading this book as...more
Michelle
Dr. Seuss is a genius. His made-up words are fun to say, his stories are short and easy to read, his pictures are funny and unique and each story has a lesson that both kids and adults can enjoy learning (or remembering). The Sneetches has always been a favorite of mine because it teaches children not to exclude someone else because of how they look. We are all the same on the inside. That is a beautiful message to send to kids. This book is even better because it has other stories! The Zax teac...more
Luann
I had read "The Sneetches" before, but not the other stories in this book. Clearly the Sneetches are the star here. (Ha! The pun was unintentional, but it did make me laugh when I noticed it.) The Sneetches is one of the Dr. Seuss stories I've used as a readers' theater for my library classes. I really like the lesson it teaches. The other stories are strange, end abruptly, and are not memorable at all - except maybe "What was I scared of?" which I think could have been the inspiration for The L...more
Kathy Davie
This is a collection of four stories about silly superiorities, too stubborn for your own good, being lazy and not thinking ahead, and confronting your fears.

The Story
The Sneetches are divided. Some have green stars for belly buttons while others do not. Naturally, the Star-Belly Sneetches are far superior to the Plain-Belly Sneetches…until…one day…an enterprising Sneetch comes along and offers to help the Plain-Belly Sneetches by giving them stars on their bellies. Well, this just won't do. Ho...more
Cindy Benabderrahman
Apr 21, 2009 Cindy Benabderrahman rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everybody
Recommended to Cindy by: my mom
SUMMARY
This collection of short stories touches on themes like the value of diversity, the get-nowhere-fast of stalemates, the value of individuality, and confronting fears. There are two kinds of Sneetches in The Sneetches: those who have stars on their bellies, and those who do not. When a man comes along with a star-on / star-off machine, the Sneetches get all mixed up and the resolution is that all sneetches are equal. In The Zax, two Zaxes (a north-going one and a south-going one) meet, and...more
BurningYourBooks
True story! The Sneetches is actually about a real community and is set in an equally real place. You can even visit it if you come here on one of your vacations, that is, if you're the type who likes to wonder around a village market place where you can pick up authentic pieces from the great masters (Rodin or Monet - your choice!) and an organic black bean wrap without having to cross the street. Every day I make the delightful 20 minute by freeway journey from my old, delightfully comfy and c...more
Josiah
This is a very impressive book. In the various stories compiled in this one volume, Dr. Seuss addresses several points of social contention with a touch like that of the butterfly's wings, getting his point across with vivid clarity but not a hint of preachiness. The story of the Sneetches is a true classic, showing rather than telling the effects that elitism has not only on the people across the way from us who we look down on, but the effect it has on us, as well. When we begin to consider s...more
Emma Weine
The Sneetches is one of the few Dr Seuss books that I like enough to read to my kids. I like the message and his delivery of it to kids; it's hard to teach kids that we're all equal without it sounding like I'm giving 'another one of Mummy's boring long speeches', so I'm grateful for this clever little book. Seuss does a fabulous job of informing our kids that there's only one race - the human race - without them even realising it, and without patronising them and I find that subtlety like that...more
Irish Tagamolila
What can I say about Sneetches and Other Stories? It’s one of my favorite books, and that’s including YA and adult books. I try to find excuses to read this book to kids AND adults. Sneetches is just one of those amazing stories showcases Dr. Seuss skill with words, but it addresses a universal idea in such a fun way. The moral is obvious for most, unless you’re too young, but it is not shoved down your throat. Those who are too young to understand the moral will still enjoy Dr. Seuss’ sing-song...more
Mara Mccarthy
The Sneetches and Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss, is a collection of four stories. The first one, The Sneetches, is about a group of creatures called Sneetches, some of which have green stars on their stomachs. At first, the Sneetches with stars look down upon those without stars. Sylvester McMonkey McBean starts selling stars to the Sneetches without stars with his new Star-on machine, but this poses a threat to the Sneetches with stars. They feel that their special status is becoming ordinary, so...more
Emily
I like how at first they aren't being nice to each other, but in the end they end up so messed up that they don't know who is who, forget about stars, start sharing, and from that time on he thinks that you can't teach a sneetch, but he's wrong. You can teach a sneetch.

One day there are two zax, a north going zax and a south going zax and they bump into each other. They start fighting. In the end they stay where they are and they don't budge. They build a highway over them.

Next, there are all th...more
Jenn
Sam reads this book, on average, twice a week. He loves how entrepreneurial that Sylvester McMonkey McBean is in exploiting those silly Sneetches bigotry. He also likes the ending when the Sneetches learn to be nice to each other.

Sam also likes the story of "Too Many Daves" and often uses the alternate name suggestions for nicknames for his brother. A favorite is Oliver Boliver Butt.
Sauda Abdullah
The Sneetches is a fictional book written by Dr. Seuss. The main idea of this story is racism, presented in a non-traditional way. The Star-Bellied Sneetches represent the group that looks down on others, while the Plain-Bellied Sneetches are trying to be like the Star-Bellied Sneetches. The main characters are the Star-Bellied Sneetches, the Plain-Bellied Sneetches, and Sylvester McMonkey McBean. I would use this text in a classroom to help my students recognize rhyming words. The student would...more
Keri Lamle
Jul 26, 2012 Keri Lamle rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: any age
The Sneetch and Other Stories is a Dr. Suess book that was a "night before 1st day of school" tradition in our house for many years. The other stories "The Zax", "Too Many Daves", and "What was I Afraid of?" are all fun stories but I must admit "The Sneetches" was my person favorite and the reason for the tradition.
Just like "The Night Before Christmas" tells a tale of start of Christmas, The Sneetches teaches us the value of personal choice. When I 1st read this book to the children as preschoo...more
Connie
Ah, Sneetches.

This book comes with four Seuss stories. It is a mark of the man's skill that he was able to write a clear moral for each of them without being too preachy. (He didn't always succeed at this, which is why I refuse to buy a copy of the Lorax, but when he got it right he was SO right.)

The first story, Sneetches, is a pretty clear moral about discrimination. The ones with stars and the ones with "none upon thars" run back and forth and back and forth trying to have the right number of...more
Shelley
"The Sneetches" is perhaps my all-time favorite Dr. Seuss story. What a subtle way to teach children that racism and sexism and any of those "isms" are wrong. Dr. Seuss was a genius!

I am also a big fan of "Too Many Daves". It's just too funny!

I have loved these stories (and almost all of Dr. Seuss' books) since I was very small. I remember checking out the maximum number of books allowed - 8 at the time - and all of them were Dr. Seuss books. I was probably 6 or 7 years old at the time. I love...more
Skylar Burris
"The Sneetches" teaches the positive virtue of tolerance in a way that doesn't make me want to stick my fingers down my throat, and given the state of most of today's overly didactic, moralistic children's literature, that's a real accomplishment.

And it rhymes.

And my daughter absolutely loves it.
Chester Richmond
The Sneetches teach the important lesson of including others. In the community of the sneetches there are some sneetches that have stars on their bellies. This makes them special and allows them to do things that the normal sneetches are unable to do. The star bellied sneetches are convinced they are better and treat the normal sneetches poorly and bully them. In the end we realize that any sneetch can accomplish anything and you are not limited by how you look.

This book deals with the issues of...more
Donna
Now, THIS is outstanding work for a child who must survive among peers who are not always kind. Look at the message! (I once read this to a classroom full of 5th graders who had some mean-girl stuff going on).

This wonderful book is generally for younger children, but it can be used for anybody who needs to hear it (or who wants to read every single Dr. Seuss book, as I did as a child!). A nice feature: because these are all make-believe creatures, ethnicity is not an issue. Early books for chil...more
Sarah
Dr. Seuss' "The Sneetches" is a book ahead of its time. It tells a story about a group of animals called the Sneetches. Some have stars on their bellies while others don't, but as soon as Sylvester McMonkey McBean told the Sneetches without stars on their bellies that he could put "stars upon thars" the animals began to pay for their modifications. As soon as McBean would say something was better the Sneetches would pay for that change and the cycle continued until of the Sneetches couldn't tell...more
Julie
Love this collection! We read it constantly with all three of the kids. Such a great series of subtle lessons on the importance of diversity and acceptance/appreciation thereof!

Sneetches: Racism (or whatever -ism you want to draw from as the example) is silly. So is chasing fads. :)

Zax: Compromise and/or creative problem solving is necessary. (My daughter: Why couldn't one zax lay down and the other hop over him? both could continue in their direction?)

Daves: If we were all identical, it would b...more
Dolly
Mar 28, 2009 Dolly rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: parents reading with their children
A classic Dr. Seuss book, including four stories (The Sneetches, The Zax, Too Many Daves and What Was I Scared Of?). All have classic Dr. Seuss rhyming narratives and illustrations and are fun for all ages.
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The Sneetches and Other Stories (Paperback)
The Sneetches and Other Stories (Hardcover)
The Sneetches and Other Stories (Dr.Seuss Classic Collection)
The Sneetches and Other Stories (School & Library Binding)
The Sneetches and Other Stories (Hardcover)

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Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, MA. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both carto...more
More about Dr. Seuss...
Green Eggs and Ham The Cat in the Hat How the Grinch Stole Christmas Oh, the Places You'll Go! The Lorax

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“I said, "I do not fear those pants with nobody inside them." I said, and said, and said those words. I said them but I lied them. ” 130 people liked it
“Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.” 14 people liked it
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