This 1958 collection contains three rhyming tales centered on pride and vanity. In the title story, Yertle, the King of the Pond, commands his subjects to stack themselves into a massive throne so he can overlook the horizon and expand his kingdom. His ambition collapses when Mack, the turtle at the very bottom, burps and topples the tower. The subsequent stories follow Gertrude McFuzz, a bird who grows excess tail feathers to compete with a glamorous peer, and a bear and rabbit who engage in a boasting match about their sensory abilities.
Preschoolers and elementary students read this book to see authority figures and braggarts humbled by their own foolishness. The stories provide specific examples of how greed and ego lead to personal failure or social collapse. Readers walk away with the understanding that individual rights matter and that bullying behavior is ultimately fragile. The rhymes allow children to internalize the moral that no leader is entitled to sit on the backs of others, while Mack’s burp serves as a literal tool for social upheaval.
Practical, outward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1958
- Language
- EN
