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The Butter Battle Book
Illus. in full color.
"Dr. Seuss chronicles the feud between the Yooks and the Zooks from slingshots through sophisticated weaponry, until each side has the capacity to destroy the world. The language amuses, the drawings are zesty and humorous, and the demand for this book will be large."-- "School Library Journal."
"Provocative, packs an allegorical punch. The parade of increasingly elaborate (and ridiculous) armaments makes a telling point."-- "Booklist."
"Dr. Seuss chronicles the feud between the Yooks and the Zooks from slingshots through sophisticated weaponry, until each side has the capacity to destroy the world. The language amuses, the drawings are zesty and humorous, and the demand for this book will be large."-- "School Library Journal."
"Provocative, packs an allegorical punch. The parade of increasingly elaborate (and ridiculous) armaments makes a telling point."-- "Booklist."
56 pages, Library Binding
First published January 12, 1984
About the author
Dr. Seuss
945 books17.9k followersTheodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. 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 cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 694 reviews
October 8, 2020
The battle lines are drawn and the fight gets real. There's a think tank working its way furiously to trump the enemy.
Yooks and Zooks and their different styles of applying butter on the bread.
The book inculcates respect and the very essential feeling of tolerance into children.
The unity in diversity.
February 20, 2017
Lovely one
"In every Zook house and in every Zook town
every Zook eats his bread
with the butter side down!"
"The Boys in my Back Room invented
this rig
called the Eight‐Nozzled, Elephant‐
Toted Boom‐Blitz"
October 11, 2012
6 stars!!!
Being a huge fan of Dr. Seuss’ works over the years, I was in that mode where I wanted to read everything that was written by him and I remembered reading “The Butter Battle Book” many years ago when I was little. Well, I stumbled upon “The Butter Battle Book” again when I got older and at first, I was a little hesitant about reading this book again because of its war themes and I usually do not like reading books about wars, but after reading this classic book by Dr. Seuss, I actually found myself really enjoying this book! “The Butter Battle Book” is definitely one of Dr. Seuss’ most impactful and darkest stories ever told!
The book starts off with a grandfather character telling his grandson about the great battle between the Zooks (orange uniformed people who ate their bread with the butter side down) and the Yooks (blue uniformed people who ate their breads with the butter side up). The battle between the Zooks and the Yooks started when one of the Zooks shoots off the grandfather’s Snick-Berry Switch with a slingshot and the grandfather goes to Chief Yookeroo to get a better weapon that can beat out the weapon of the Zooks. Unfortunately, the Zooks keep on making better weapons than the Yooks, while the Yooks constantly try to build a better weapon to match with the Yooks’ weapon, which causes the book to come to a surprising conclusion!
Wow…just wow…
Who would have ever thought that I would ever come across a Dr. Seuss book that discusses about war? Well, I have come across other Dr. Seuss books that have a heavy message (“The Lorax” and “The Sneetches”), but this was what I called one of Dr. Seuss’s darkest books since it discusses about a topic that is often serious to many children…WAR. It was also surprising that this book was actually a parody of the Cold War (the war between the United States and the Soviet Union) as both the Zooks and the Yooks tried to best each other with having a better weapon than the other side. Even though I do not usually read books that have war themes because of the whole “only one side can win in this war” mentality that is constantly being shown in these types of books, this was one of the few war books that I had read that actually had a brilliant moral to the story:
WAR I S POINTLESS!
Since the premise of this book is about how both sides do not like each other because they spread their butters a different way on their breads, you might be thinking to yourself about how ridiculous this all is and why both sides could not reach a compromise about spreading their butter on both sides of the breads. But, what I loved about the way that Dr. Seuss wrote this book was that both sides were not portrayed in a positive light since the Zooks seem like bullies and the Yooks are prejudiced towards the Zooks for buttering their breads differently and that might sound a bit odd, but it was appropriate enough to bring the theme of this book home. The reason why I have such a huge dislike for wars is because both sides that participate in the wars can be shown in a negative light if they believe that fighting is the only solution to whatever problem arises instead of sitting down and talking about the problem and coming to a reasonable solution that can benefit both sides. I loved the way that Dr. Seuss made a statement about how ridiculous the war between the Zooks and the Yooks really was because having a war about who has the best weapons seems like a ridiculous reason for countries to fight each other and we can easily see that through the Zooks and Yooks’ actions throughout this book. Dr. Seuss’ illustrations may look a bit darker than usual, but still has the usual creative flair as the Zooks are always shown in orange jumpsuits while the Yooks are always shown in blue jumpsuits and I also loved the different weapons that each side has, especially the Zooks’ weapon that was called the Eight-Nozzled, Elephant-Toted Boom-Blitz which looks like a machine that has eight nozzles and is being carried by two mean looking purple elephants.
Probably one of the most controversial things about this book was the abrupt ending. I will not tell you what happens at the end since I do not want to spoil this book for anyone, but you will be left wondering about what happens next after the events of this book. I will admit that I was actually mad at how the book ended, but then since this book was written during the Cold War, it is understandable about why the book ended the way it did. It makes me wonder about if they ever thought about making a “Butter Battle Book” movie, will the conclusion be changed in the movie and how will they go about it? Also, the theme about the Zooks and the Yooks going at war with each other might be a bit disturbing for younger children, especially if they do not understand about the motives of wars or if they do not like seeing characters fighting each other.
Overall, “The Butter Battle Book” is easily one of the best books about anti-war ever written and anyone who is a fan of Dr. Seuss’ works or would love to read about how terrible wars are will definitely not be disappointed in this book! I would recommend this book to children ages six and up since the war themes might upset younger children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
February 24, 2022
Tensions escalate and weapons accumulate as the Zooks and the Yooks are ready to go to war over which side of the toast to butter. This rhyming illustrated parable was published in 1984 when Dr. Seuss turned 80 during the Cold War between Russia and the United States. The book was frequently banned as it made a satire that both sides were morally equal during the arms race. Now almost 30 years later, the two countries are again in conflict with Russia invading Ukarine. How far will this go? The righteous and aggrieved Zooks and Yooks were prepared to bomb and eradicate each other over toast.
January 19, 2009
I think it is one of his best!
October 31, 2010
Okay you are probably wondering why I am talking about this book. In my Language Arts class my students had to read "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. Today I read "The Butter Battle Book" also by Dr. Seuss. The idea is they are to compare and contrast the two books. Needless to say my very knowledgeable sixth graders proceeded to tell me how the Butter Battle Book is actually a political story about the Cold War. I almost dropped my teeth. Why? A few years ago when I did a lesson on the Berlin Wall my 8th grade students had no idea what the Cold War was. These sixth graders not only knew about it they knew which President played a vital role. One of my students is doing their History Fair project on The Cold War and one of them is doing their project on the Berlin Wall. To say I was surprised is an understatement. We will have to do our compare/contrast tomorrow because today was all about life under socialism and communism. I am so glad that I have taught History in the past because to tie it in with the books we are reading and watching my students make the connections is absolutely wonderful. However if you don't know what the book is about I will say no more and recommend you go to your library and check out a copy of Dr Seuss's "Butter Battle Book".
November 22, 2021
Definitely not the best Dr. Seuss has to offer.
July 28, 2022
We love Dr. Seuss at my house.
Read
February 23, 2017We all are intimately familiar with the glorious rhyming and the honest joy of reading a Dr. Seuss book aloud. Considering some of the check-outs that my kindergartner has brought home this year - the kind I begrudgingly cracked open and read each night with the sort of over-taxed smile and forced lilt necessary to make it through the more inane children's books - seeing a Dr. Seuss was a great relief. One that I've never read or heard of to boot!
Unfortunately, the nightly recite until turn-in-time for this library book has probably already been nixed.
"That was boring."
Sigh. Even though I poured every ounce of theatre into that first reading, I have to admit that I tend to agree. Not only that, but I had to do some quick thinking about how to talk about the book with my kiddo... in a surprising turn for a Dr. Seuss book, I wish I would have known the subject matter before diving in.
This book, published in 1984, is anti-war cautionary tale. It probably has good intentions. There's no denying that it could be said to be relevant to today.
*Ahem*
As told by a Zook grandfather to his dear grandson, the Yooks butter their bread on the wrong side, which cannot be tolerated - so a wall had to be built, patrolled and armed. But with each Zook arm, came a better, more spectacular Yook arm - to the Zook Tough-Tufted Prickly Snick-Berry Switch, a Yook VanItch Sling shot to smash it smithereens. And so it goes...until they both come up with the "Big-Boy Boomeroo" which will destroy both Zook and Yook land with loads of toxic blue goo (or something very close to that).
Zooks and Yooks march underground. The last page, a cliffhanger, a face off between the two sides ready to drop the annihilating boomeroo. The question hangs, "will they or won't they?".
The problem I faced with this possibly timely and important subject matter is that it's more relevant to adults than it is to my child. We're not born with war, we teach it. It was boring because for my kid the conflict was worse than stupid, it wasn't even something he could comprehend. Why would two people be so angry over which side the bread is buttered on? Beyond the fact that I had trouble with the story that equates some real moral issues with something as simple as a matter of opinion - I was faced with a slightly deeper dilemma - do I explain to him that this type of supreme idiocy exists in the world? Surely he'll find that out for himself soon enough?
Because it was bedtime I decided to put off that revelation for another day and preserve whatever quiet innocence I could for just a little longer. I'm sure many people would disagree with me there, but I think a parent should follow their own compass.
"It was boring. Last book for the night, should we let the Pigeon drive the bus, again?"
Unfortunately, the nightly recite until turn-in-time for this library book has probably already been nixed.
"That was boring."
Sigh. Even though I poured every ounce of theatre into that first reading, I have to admit that I tend to agree. Not only that, but I had to do some quick thinking about how to talk about the book with my kiddo... in a surprising turn for a Dr. Seuss book, I wish I would have known the subject matter before diving in.
This book, published in 1984, is anti-war cautionary tale. It probably has good intentions. There's no denying that it could be said to be relevant to today.
*Ahem*
As told by a Zook grandfather to his dear grandson, the Yooks butter their bread on the wrong side, which cannot be tolerated - so a wall had to be built, patrolled and armed. But with each Zook arm, came a better, more spectacular Yook arm - to the Zook Tough-Tufted Prickly Snick-Berry Switch, a Yook VanItch Sling shot to smash it smithereens. And so it goes...until they both come up with the "Big-Boy Boomeroo" which will destroy both Zook and Yook land with loads of toxic blue goo (or something very close to that).
Zooks and Yooks march underground. The last page, a cliffhanger, a face off between the two sides ready to drop the annihilating boomeroo. The question hangs, "will they or won't they?".
The problem I faced with this possibly timely and important subject matter is that it's more relevant to adults than it is to my child. We're not born with war, we teach it. It was boring because for my kid the conflict was worse than stupid, it wasn't even something he could comprehend. Why would two people be so angry over which side the bread is buttered on? Beyond the fact that I had trouble with the story that equates some real moral issues with something as simple as a matter of opinion - I was faced with a slightly deeper dilemma - do I explain to him that this type of supreme idiocy exists in the world? Surely he'll find that out for himself soon enough?
Because it was bedtime I decided to put off that revelation for another day and preserve whatever quiet innocence I could for just a little longer. I'm sure many people would disagree with me there, but I think a parent should follow their own compass.
"It was boring. Last book for the night, should we let the Pigeon drive the bus, again?"
April 14, 2020
One of the few Dr. Seuss books I didn't discover until high school. We were discussing war and this was one way in which we took to analyzing and dissecting the basis of it. I had not read it during my childhood, but my childhood was the kind for which this book was exactly written. Hampered with the threat of imminent danger stemming from the arms race in general, but particularly the planet-ending threat of nuclear war. It was nearly a given that it would happen—the question was when.
So, no matter the age that I discovered this—I would've been 5 or 6 when it was first published—even first hearing it ten years later, the threat still loomed large in my thoughts. It had fizzled out a bit more by then: the Soviet Union break up did a lot for that simmering down. But then other countries would join in, their threat new, improved, and deadly.
The Butter Battle Book feels every bit like it was written by a person who was fed up with the constant threat of destruction, threats made by either side. You could see the problem in both sides...the amping up in response, and the hesitancy to be the first side to relent. We had painted ourselves into a corner, and global threat in general had amped up over that century...two world wars among it all, and the worry of a third, more deadly, more costly.
And yet, the rhyming pattern, the human-like creatures who are the Yooks and the Zooks, and the simplistic point of contention between them: the side on which their bread is buttered, all make for an easy way to begin that discussion of peace and hope for the future with your child...1980s or not.
So, no matter the age that I discovered this—I would've been 5 or 6 when it was first published—even first hearing it ten years later, the threat still loomed large in my thoughts. It had fizzled out a bit more by then: the Soviet Union break up did a lot for that simmering down. But then other countries would join in, their threat new, improved, and deadly.
The Butter Battle Book feels every bit like it was written by a person who was fed up with the constant threat of destruction, threats made by either side. You could see the problem in both sides...the amping up in response, and the hesitancy to be the first side to relent. We had painted ourselves into a corner, and global threat in general had amped up over that century...two world wars among it all, and the worry of a third, more deadly, more costly.
And yet, the rhyming pattern, the human-like creatures who are the Yooks and the Zooks, and the simplistic point of contention between them: the side on which their bread is buttered, all make for an easy way to begin that discussion of peace and hope for the future with your child...1980s or not.
March 13, 2021
Recently because of some media spotlight on Dr. Seuss and his works. I decided to reread the 6 books in question and two others. But alas only had 5 of the 6 on hand. This is the first of the reviews.
Dr. Seuss is famous for his many children’s books. Books that spark the imagination. Surprise, and amaze. There is a large collection of old animated shorts based on them. And these has been several movies both animated and life action. He also wrote two books that though written and illustrated in a similar style and format are considered adult books they are The Seven Lady Godivas and The Butter Battle Book. Butter Battle is a commentary on war and is often found in the children’s sections in bookstores and libraries. Godivas I believe is long out of print, I believe the last printing was in 1988. And I am only aware of it because it is the favorite book of a friend.
I do not know a child who has not engaged with these books on some level. My youngest and my wife have a few of them memorized. And recite them to each other before bed, as much as read. My children loved the old, animated shorts, and like most of the movies. I was less fond of the live action movies but appreciate most of the animated ones. But back to this book.
This is a story, about two towns, one butters bread on the top, one butters bread on the bottom. And soon tensions escalate. And lines are drawn. And hostilities keep growing. Trenches, walls and weapons, until mutual destruction is assured. And oh what an ending!
This is by far one of my favorite if not favorite Seuss books!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss is famous for his many children’s books. Books that spark the imagination. Surprise, and amaze. There is a large collection of old animated shorts based on them. And these has been several movies both animated and life action. He also wrote two books that though written and illustrated in a similar style and format are considered adult books they are The Seven Lady Godivas and The Butter Battle Book. Butter Battle is a commentary on war and is often found in the children’s sections in bookstores and libraries. Godivas I believe is long out of print, I believe the last printing was in 1988. And I am only aware of it because it is the favorite book of a friend.
I do not know a child who has not engaged with these books on some level. My youngest and my wife have a few of them memorized. And recite them to each other before bed, as much as read. My children loved the old, animated shorts, and like most of the movies. I was less fond of the live action movies but appreciate most of the animated ones. But back to this book.
This is a story, about two towns, one butters bread on the top, one butters bread on the bottom. And soon tensions escalate. And lines are drawn. And hostilities keep growing. Trenches, walls and weapons, until mutual destruction is assured. And oh what an ending!
This is by far one of my favorite if not favorite Seuss books!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Dr. Seuss.
June 25, 2008
This is clearly a parable for nuclear proliferation, and no doubt Suess condemns it. However, there is no clear moral drawn in this story, and the events are left unresolved. What will happen? "We will see..." Therefore, the reader is left to draw his own conclusions. As a parent, you can "read" this any way you like with your child: the liberal can focus on the frivolity of war and the dangers of mutually assured destruction; the conservative can, in contrast, argue that peace will ensue between Zooks and Yooks because of the mutual deterrence achieved by the creation of these weapons. So, you can, to some extent, take from it what you will, and it is written in a wonderfully rhythmic and alliterative manner.
February 15, 2016
A very clever book, really impressed with this one. Shows how to respect somebody if they are different or if they believe in something you don't understand. It then goes on to show if you don't that hatred can turn into a conflict with each side building bigger and bigger weapons, until you end up in a stand-off with a big-boy-boomeroo. Really well done and it leads up to some very interesting discussions with the child you read it too.
December 14, 2012
Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Butter Battle Book is another of Dr. Seuss's titles which reflect his activist side. Through satirical humor, he explores the ridiculousness and futility of war. The Yooks and the Zooks have an age-old disagreement over which way to eat their bread, butter side up or down, and as a result, they eventually start a war over it. They begin with sentries guarding the wall separating their borders which of course, could be taken as a metaphor for anything that separates us from our fellow man. One side fires upon the other with a slingshot and from there, the conflict continues to escalate with each side coming up with increasingly preposterous weapons until both possess a small bomb which could blow the other side to smithereens and in essence wipe out the world.
It's doubtful that younger children will understand the deeper meaning behind the story, but they're sure to be delighted with the classic Seuss rhyming text and whimsical illustrations of Seuss-ified characters and their silly machines. With parental or educator guidance older children can glean an important message about getting along with others who have different views in order to prevent conflict from happening and not feeling like you have to one up each other until you either reach an impossible situation or the worst occurs. I think this simple lesson could be applied to our daily lives, as well as the world at large for preventing warfare. Overall, The Butter Battle Book was another fabulous Dr. Seuss story that has earned a spot on my keeper shelf.
The Butter Battle Book is another of Dr. Seuss's titles which reflect his activist side. Through satirical humor, he explores the ridiculousness and futility of war. The Yooks and the Zooks have an age-old disagreement over which way to eat their bread, butter side up or down, and as a result, they eventually start a war over it. They begin with sentries guarding the wall separating their borders which of course, could be taken as a metaphor for anything that separates us from our fellow man. One side fires upon the other with a slingshot and from there, the conflict continues to escalate with each side coming up with increasingly preposterous weapons until both possess a small bomb which could blow the other side to smithereens and in essence wipe out the world.
It's doubtful that younger children will understand the deeper meaning behind the story, but they're sure to be delighted with the classic Seuss rhyming text and whimsical illustrations of Seuss-ified characters and their silly machines. With parental or educator guidance older children can glean an important message about getting along with others who have different views in order to prevent conflict from happening and not feeling like you have to one up each other until you either reach an impossible situation or the worst occurs. I think this simple lesson could be applied to our daily lives, as well as the world at large for preventing warfare. Overall, The Butter Battle Book was another fabulous Dr. Seuss story that has earned a spot on my keeper shelf.
July 10, 2014
I love activist Seuss books. This book is good, but makes me a little perturbed. I want to laugh at the stupidity of it all, but it's not funny. In other Seuss books, like the Lorax, there's more of a child-like tone to the story. My kids felt the tension in this book and the oldest one even shouted, "Can they stop being weird and just hug. They need to stop fighting and get along." There you have it. Like many world problems, there is no resolve in this story. It left my kids a little irritated. They may be too young for this one. Seuss was one of a kind and I'm happy he found a way to express his views in his books. Knowing history and then reading about it in a Seuss book, just makes it all look asinine.
August 14, 2021
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This was a splendid book. It was ridiculously hilarious and pure fun to read aloud (especially with the nonsense words and illogical happenings). Some of the rhymes were really great. But I think my favourite was...
“This machine was SO modern, SO frightfully new,
no one knew quite exactly just WHAT it would do!”
Titanic, anyone??
This book really has a very deep, impactful message. I seemed to see a sort of parody of humanity—starting with slingshots, going on to airplanes, and ending with bombs to finish the world. Knowing that this book was written during the Cold War, I’m positive that’s what it’s meant to be—and the abrupt ending is to make one think very hard indeed.
“This machine was SO modern, SO frightfully new,
no one knew quite exactly just WHAT it would do!”
Titanic, anyone??
This book really has a very deep, impactful message. I seemed to see a sort of parody of humanity—starting with slingshots, going on to airplanes, and ending with bombs to finish the world. Knowing that this book was written during the Cold War, I’m positive that’s what it’s meant to be—and the abrupt ending is to make one think very hard indeed.
March 23, 2015
Me and Rae loved this story. When we hit the end, she wanted to know "What happens?" and it was fun to tell her that it was up to the reader to determine what will happen. Does the Yook drop his bomb and kill himself and the Zook? Or what if the Zook drops his bomb first? Is the first one to drop his bomb surprised to find it is a dud? Will the Zook win, as he has every time before, and history prove that it is always repeating itself? Which way is the right way to butter your bread?
March 10, 2009
A response to Cold War nuclear proliferation and mutually assured destruction as told through buttered toast.
October 26, 2023
This may not be the most popular Suess book, but it is my favorite. There are a handful of his books that look and read as penance for his earlier racist war propaganda. Similar to the Star Bellied Sneeches, we are introduced to two separate groups that are divided by ridiculous biases. In this case, which side is the right side to butter your bread. What erupts from there goes beyond a lesson in loving your neighbor, and shows the reader the larger threat of war.
The silly reason for wanting to destroy another people group, and then the arms race that follows, serves as a really appropriate way to frame so many wars in the twentieth century. The two nations use propaganda to build hate for each other, and then build their larger weapons to increase the other’s fear.
The Butter Battle culminates in the creation of a small weapon that has the potential to destroy everything, and the war becomes a stalemate forever. Even though the words and art are silly Suess, the Cold War message is very real, and hopefully can bring up future generations to reject the arms race to total destruction, rather than being lead by fear to participate.
The silly reason for wanting to destroy another people group, and then the arms race that follows, serves as a really appropriate way to frame so many wars in the twentieth century. The two nations use propaganda to build hate for each other, and then build their larger weapons to increase the other’s fear.
The Butter Battle culminates in the creation of a small weapon that has the potential to destroy everything, and the war becomes a stalemate forever. Even though the words and art are silly Suess, the Cold War message is very real, and hopefully can bring up future generations to reject the arms race to total destruction, rather than being lead by fear to participate.
December 25, 2019
Wow. Just wow. In all of my thirty one years, I have never actually read the Butter Battle Book. It must be one of the only Dr. Seuss books I've never read. I had no idea how dark and gritty it was going to be.
Keep in mind, it IS just a children's book, so it isn't like there is blood and guts and brains spilling out of cracked skulls or anything, but still... This book, short and silly though it may be, takes a hard, honest look at war and how out of control and dangerous it can become.
It was actually an incredibly good read.
Update: Read this again today in honor of Seuss's birthday. It is even more relevant in today's political climate than it was when I first read it last year.
Keep in mind, it IS just a children's book, so it isn't like there is blood and guts and brains spilling out of cracked skulls or anything, but still... This book, short and silly though it may be, takes a hard, honest look at war and how out of control and dangerous it can become.
It was actually an incredibly good read.
Update: Read this again today in honor of Seuss's birthday. It is even more relevant in today's political climate than it was when I first read it last year.
October 20, 2017
Baby's first book of nuclear brinksmanship. Aside from the part where legitimately repressive and horrible communist governments get whitewashed into people who butter their toast incorrectly, I'm not really sure why there was a need to teach children too young for chapter books about geopolitics, the military-industrial complex, or the apparently unending threat of a terrible fiery death. Isn't it funny how all of these people could potentially be annihilated over a trivial difference in beliefs? Ha, ha! Wacky! Anyway, sleep tight, honey.
November 3, 2020
I just wish we all have an understanding boss like that in our lives!
The story portrays fueds between neighbouring areas for no action reason. No fueds start with actual reasons though.
The war begins and this side in our story always loses. But the one in command doesn't blame the one who's been out there and fighting. Instead, he thinks of ways and means on how to improve the situation and actually helps the 'soldier'. Several trials and errors but still there's hope the story tells.
I didn't like the ending though. This one seems a bit incomplete.
The story portrays fueds between neighbouring areas for no action reason. No fueds start with actual reasons though.
The war begins and this side in our story always loses. But the one in command doesn't blame the one who's been out there and fighting. Instead, he thinks of ways and means on how to improve the situation and actually helps the 'soldier'. Several trials and errors but still there's hope the story tells.
I didn't like the ending though. This one seems a bit incomplete.
March 8, 2019
The story itself is fairly good, with the usual cadence and humor that Dr. Seuss was known for, but what really made this book so awesome was the illustrations As the story progresses, the illustrations change a bit at a time, such as paperwork piling up on a desk, and so on. This is one of these books where I recommend that you get this for the illustrations just as much (if not more) than the story itself.
February 11, 2013
there were a lot of idiotic things said of (& during) the cold war. the most fatuous was the idea of moral equivalence which, sad to say, dr seuss rehearses here. (one star for the marvellous drawings).
February 1, 2017
A perfect story for our world today.
November 7, 2018
That cliffhanger ending! AARGH! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
The Butter Battle is about the Yooks who eat their toast butter side up and the Zooks who eat their toast butter side down (blasphemy!). This resulted in the great Butter Battle where each country is convinced that their way of eating toast is the correct way. What started off as a disagreement quickly escalates to a full on war.
I think this is a great book that teaches kids about war and how pointless it is. We should just embrace our differences rather than force our ways on others!
The Butter Battle is about the Yooks who eat their toast butter side up and the Zooks who eat their toast butter side down (blasphemy!). This resulted in the great Butter Battle where each country is convinced that their way of eating toast is the correct way. What started off as a disagreement quickly escalates to a full on war.
I think this is a great book that teaches kids about war and how pointless it is. We should just embrace our differences rather than force our ways on others!
June 2, 2022
The wall of Berlin, is what springs to mind.
Definitely more darker subject matter, but you can’t shield children from the world’s cruelty forever. So, introduce hard concepts to kids in a picture book!
Definitely more darker subject matter, but you can’t shield children from the world’s cruelty forever. So, introduce hard concepts to kids in a picture book!
January 29, 2020
Still fantastic.
August 14, 2021
Dr Seuss at his thought-provoking best, with the Cold War dilemma set in rhyme and allegory. The Yooks (with butter side up) vs the Zooks (with butter side down) face off across the Wall, each side trying to outdo and ultimately destroy the other, eventually (hopefully) realizing that it’s a practice in futility. No winners, only losers. (Published in 1984.)
April 19, 2018
Dr. Seuss has been known to include many different political issues and views in his children's books. I find this extremely interesting and different than many authors. I feel like most children book authors would steer away from politics since many children do not understand the deeper meaning. However, Dr. Seuss used his children books as a platform for different political issues.
Dr. Seuss uses this book as a platform to talk about the Cold War to a younger audience. In the book, there are two individual sides fighting over which way is the "right way" to butter toast. Dr. Seuss was appalled by the Cold War and because of that he wanted to create a fictional war that was bizarre. Both the characters and the events within Seuss' book relate back to the Cold War. We have the two sides fighting each other, one of the main characters is meant to represent Ronald Reagan, and the grandson whose name is not mentioned, but could be called the "little boy" which is the nickname of the Hiroshima bomb. Throughout the book, the two sides compete on who can make the bigger and better weapon until the both have one that could easily destroy either side. As the tension rises within the reader, Seuss leaves the reader with no answer of what happens. He leaves it up to the reader to decide what happens. This gives the reader the opportunity to think and evaluate what they think is right and why. This could spark up controversial conversation within a classroom.
As we can see, this book could definitely cause some controversy within schools. Seuss utilized this book to show his readers that both sides in the Cold War were wrong. In the United States, this book was banned because Americans (capitalists) did not like that Seuss was contradicting perspective. Many places in Canada also followed this move in their own schools. Americans, not the working class, believed that the capitalists were able to decide what values are to be held and was laws are to be formed resulting in controlling society's ideology. This right here is exactly why Capitalist America did not like Seuss' interpretation because they wanted society to be on their side and follow they ideology, so that they could have supporters.
I completely understand why this book can be seen as controversial, but I do not think it should be banned from schools. War is something that seems to be reoccurring no matter what. Seems to be out of many people's control. Because this seems to be such a prevalent issue in our society it is important for children to learn about past wars and people's point of view on these wars. I would use this book in a classroom because the war portion of the book is obvious, but Seuss' ideology behind it is not as obvious and not super important to children. I don't think they would even notice that Seuss disliked the war. As I stated earlier, this may strike up controversy in a classroom since the ending is up to the reader, but I think this could also help students. This could help students because they are able to understand others opinions and values, which is something we all need to learn to respect.
Dr. Seuss uses this book as a platform to talk about the Cold War to a younger audience. In the book, there are two individual sides fighting over which way is the "right way" to butter toast. Dr. Seuss was appalled by the Cold War and because of that he wanted to create a fictional war that was bizarre. Both the characters and the events within Seuss' book relate back to the Cold War. We have the two sides fighting each other, one of the main characters is meant to represent Ronald Reagan, and the grandson whose name is not mentioned, but could be called the "little boy" which is the nickname of the Hiroshima bomb. Throughout the book, the two sides compete on who can make the bigger and better weapon until the both have one that could easily destroy either side. As the tension rises within the reader, Seuss leaves the reader with no answer of what happens. He leaves it up to the reader to decide what happens. This gives the reader the opportunity to think and evaluate what they think is right and why. This could spark up controversial conversation within a classroom.
As we can see, this book could definitely cause some controversy within schools. Seuss utilized this book to show his readers that both sides in the Cold War were wrong. In the United States, this book was banned because Americans (capitalists) did not like that Seuss was contradicting perspective. Many places in Canada also followed this move in their own schools. Americans, not the working class, believed that the capitalists were able to decide what values are to be held and was laws are to be formed resulting in controlling society's ideology. This right here is exactly why Capitalist America did not like Seuss' interpretation because they wanted society to be on their side and follow they ideology, so that they could have supporters.
I completely understand why this book can be seen as controversial, but I do not think it should be banned from schools. War is something that seems to be reoccurring no matter what. Seems to be out of many people's control. Because this seems to be such a prevalent issue in our society it is important for children to learn about past wars and people's point of view on these wars. I would use this book in a classroom because the war portion of the book is obvious, but Seuss' ideology behind it is not as obvious and not super important to children. I don't think they would even notice that Seuss disliked the war. As I stated earlier, this may strike up controversy in a classroom since the ending is up to the reader, but I think this could also help students. This could help students because they are able to understand others opinions and values, which is something we all need to learn to respect.
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