The Butter Battle Book

Last updated

The Butter Battle Book
The Butter Battle Book cover.jpg
Author Dr. Seuss
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Children's literature, satire
Publisher Random House
Publication date
1984
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
ISBN 0-394-86716-5
OCLC 10046060
[Fic] 19
LC Class PZ8.3.G276 Bu 1984
Preceded by Hunches in Bunches  
Followed by You're Only Old Once!  

The Butter Battle Book is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published by Random House on January 12, 1984. It is an anti-war story: specifically, a parable about arms races in general, mutually assured destruction and nuclear weapons in particular. [1] The Butter Battle Book was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Contents

This book was written during the Cold War era and reflects the concerns of the time, as well as his own, regarding the perceived possibility that humanity could be destroyed in a nuclear war. [2] It can also be seen as a satirical work, with its depiction of a deadly war based on a senseless conflict over something as trivial as a breakfast food.

Plot elements of the book were adapted for Warner Bros. Animation's Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving . [3]

Plot

The Yooks and the Zooks live on opposite sides of a long curving wall. The Yooks wear blue clothes; the Zooks wear orange. The primary dispute between the two cultures is that the Yooks eat their bread with the butter-side up, while the Zooks eat their bread with the butter-side down. The conflict between the two sides leads to an escalating arms race, which results in the threat of mutual assured destruction.

The race begins when a Zook patrolman named Van Itch slingshots the Yook patrolman's "Tough-Tufted Prickly Snick-Berry Switch" (a many-pronged whip). The Yooks then develop a machine with three slingshots interlinked, called a "Triple-Sling Jigger". This works once; but the Zooks counterattack with their own creation: The "Jigger-Rock Snatchem", a machine with three nets to fling the rocks fired by the Triple-Sling Jigger back to the Yooks' side.

The Yooks then create a gun called the "Kick-A-Poo Kid", loaded with "powerful Poo-A-Doo powder and ants' eggs and bees' legs and dried-fried clam chowder", and carried by a spaniel named Daniel. The Zooks counterattack with an "Eight-Nozzled Elephant-Toted Boom Blitz", a machine that shoots "high-explosive sour cherry stone pits". The Yooks then devise the "Utterly Sputter": a large blue vehicle intended "to sprinkle blue goo all over the Zooks". The Zooks counterattack with a Sputter identical to the Yooks'. Eventually, each side possesses a small but extremely destructive red bomb called the "Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo", and neither has any defense against it.

No resolution is reached by the book's end, with the generals of both sides on the wall poised to drop their bombs and waiting for the other to strike. The Yook patrolman's grandson (who had followed his grandfather to the wall) asks, "Who's gonna drop it? Will you, or will he?" To which he replies, "Be patient. We'll see. We will see..."

Television media

Television special

There was an animated TV special by animator and filmmaker Ralph Bakshi, narrated by Charles Durning and produced by and aired on TNT on November 13, 1989. [4] The special followed the book quite closely, notably in its preservation of its original cliffhanger ending, with the addition of a title card that reads, "To Be Continued..." at the conclusion of the story. Seuss himself called the short the most faithful adaptation of his work. [5] [1]

Custom painted display in Atlanta, Georgia (1993) Butter battle book.jpg
Custom painted display in Atlanta, Georgia (1993)

Cast

Green Eggs and Ham

The book serves as the basis for the second season of Green Eggs and Ham , subtitled The Second Serving. Here, it is established that Yookia and Zookia are ruled by a "Dooka" and "Dookess", respectively; residents of both nations are relatively harmless, yet are convinced that the other is evil. Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am-I end up on opposite sides of the conflict. [3] The Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo is omitted in favor of a conflict over "Moo-Lacka-Moo", the substance said to serve as the Boomeroo's core in the book, which is acquired by the Yooks while the Zooks hire Guy to build a machine due to his habit of creating inventions that explode. Unlike the book, the conflict is resolved when the respective weapons destroy the wall, due in part to Sam-I-Am and his mother Pam's meddling, and Guy's step-daughter E.B. and the Dooka's son Looka share a butter sandwich with everyone watching.

Analysis

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Panel discussion on "Nature of War in Dr. Seuss' Butter Battle Book", New York Law School, March 1, 2013, C-SPAN

The Butter Battle Book was removed from the shelves of some Canadian public libraries during the Cold War because of the book's controversial position regarding the arms race. [6] [2] The book was initially criticized over its dark moral nature being too much for the eyes and minds of children. Dr. Seuss himself was unsure if The Butter Battle Book was for adults or children when he approached Random House to have it published. [2]

An article in the July 27, 1984, issue of the conservative magazine National Review found it plausible that the book was not more popular because of Seuss' promotion of a theme of "moral equivalence", where the difference between the Soviet Union and the United States was equivalent to a disagreement over the proper side on which to butter bread. [7] [2] On the other hand, Roger S. Clark, a professor at Rutgers University School of Law, argued in an article in the New York Law School Law Review that The Butter Battle Book stood out to him when it first came out because of its timing and context. Further, he noted the fact that Dr. Seuss portrayed an arms race during the time period in which the book was published made Seuss's intentions clear. [8]

Inspiration

Lego display by Kyler Keller, of several Dr. Seuss books, including The Butter Battle Book. Dr. Suess Lego Display.jpg
Lego display by Kyler Keller, of several Dr. Seuss books, including The Butter Battle Book.

Dr. Seuss wrote The Butter Battle Book while Ronald Reagan was in office, envisioning the potential of nuclear war with Russia. Reflecting back on his time in Europe in 1926, he remembered the Guelphs and Ghibellines from northern Italy that fought over their differing opinions on the Pope. Dr. Seuss distinctly recalled one group cutting their apples horizontally while the other cut them vertically. [2] This concept of a war based on toast is similar to the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu in Jonathan Swift's 1726 satire Gulliver's Travels , which was nominally based on an argument over the correct end to crack an egg once soft-boiled. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Seuss</span> American childrens author and cartoonist (1904–1991)

Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children's author and cartoonist. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French toast</span> Dish of fried bread, eggs, and milk

French toast is a dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilliput and Blefuscu</span> Fictional island states in Gullivers Travels

Lilliput and Blefuscu are two fictional island nations that appear in the first part of the 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. The two islands are neighbours in the South Indian Ocean, separated by a channel 800 yards (730 m) wide. Both are inhabited by tiny people who are about one-twelfth the height of ordinary human beings. Both are empires, i.e. realms ruled by an emperor. The capital of Lilliput is Mildendo. In some pictures, the islands are arranged like an egg, as a reference to their egg-dominated histories and cultures.

<i>Seussical</i> Musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Seussical is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg while incorporating many other stories. The musical's name is a portmanteau of "Seuss" and the word "musical". Following its Broadway debut in 2000, the show was widely panned by critics, and closed in 2001 with huge financial losses. It has spawned two US national tours and a West End production, and has become a frequent production for schools and regional theaters.

<i>Green Eggs and Ham</i> 1960 childrens book by Dr. Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham is a children's book by Dr. Seuss. It was published by the Beginner Books imprint of Random House on August 12, 1960. The book follows Sam-I-am as he follows an unnamed man, repeatedly asking him if he would like to try some green eggs and ham before the man eventually tries it and likes it. Seuss began writing Green Eggs and Ham after his editor Bennett Cerf bet him $50 that he could not write an engaging children's book with a vocabulary of 50 words. Finding the challenge difficult, Seuss used notes, charts, and checklists to keep track of his progress. The book covers themes of conflict between individuals, though Seuss has said that it lacks any deeper meaning. Green Eggs and Ham was widely praised by critics for its writing and illustration, and challenge of writing a book in 50 words is regarded as a success. The book has been the subject of multiple adaptations, including a television series of the same name in 2019.

<i>The Sneetches and Other Stories</i> 1961 childrens book by Dr. Seuss

The Sneetches and Other Stories is a collection of stories by American children's author Dr. Seuss, published in 1961. It is composed of four separate stories with themes of tolerance, diversity, and compromise: "The Sneetches", "The Zax", "Too Many Daves", and "What Was I Scared Of?". Based on an online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". In 2012 it was ranked number 63 among the Top 100 Picture Books in a survey published by School Library Journal – the fifth of five Dr. Seuss books on the list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rissole</span> European dish of meat covered in pastry

A rissole is a small patty enclosed in pastry or rolled in breadcrumbs, usually baked or deep fried. The filling has savory ingredients, most often minced meat, fish or cheese, and is served as an entrée, main course, or side dish.

<i>Oh Say Can You Say?</i> 1979 book by Dr. Seuss

Oh Say Can You Say? is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss, and published in 1979 by Random House. It is a collection of 22 tongue-twisters. It was Dr. Seuss's last beginner book to feature his own illustrations.

Zook can refer to the following:

<i>In Search of Dr. Seuss</i> 1994 American television film

In Search of Dr. Seuss is a 1994 American television film chronicling the adventures of a news reporter, Kathy Lane, who enters the world of Dr. Seuss by opening a magical book. Also starring are Matt Frewer, Christopher Lloyd, Andrea Martin, David Paymer, Patrick Stewart, Andraé Crouch, Robin Williams and Eileen Brennan.

<i>Dr. Seuss on the Loose</i> American TV series or program

Dr. Seuss on the Loose is an American animated musical television special, first airing on CBS on October 15, 1973, and was sponsored by Nestlé. The special is hosted by The Cat in the Hat, who introduces animated adaptations of the Dr. Seuss stories The Sneetches, The Zax and Green Eggs and Ham. Allan Sherman reprised his role as the voice of The Cat in the Hat from the 1971 television special, which marked his final role prior to his death on November 20, 1973. The special became a popular annual repeat for most of the decade until its last CBS showing on July 12, 1979.

Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? is an animated musical television special written by Dr. Seuss, directed by Gerard Baldwin, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, and completed in 1979 but first aired on ABC on May 2, 1980. This was one of the final productions done at DePatie–Freleng as the studio would be sold to Marvel Comics and become Marvel Productions in 1981. The songs are by Sesame Street composer Joe Raposo.

In psychoanalysis, the narcissism of small differences is the idea that the more a relationship or community shares commonalities, the more likely the people in it are to engage in interpersonal feuds and mutual ridicule because of hypersensitivity to minor differences perceived in each other. The term was coined by Sigmund Freud in 1917, based on the earlier work of English anthropologist Ernest Crawley. Crawley theorized that each individual is separated from others by a taboo of personal isolation, which is effectively a narcissism of minor differences.

Richard H. Minear is a retired Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He taught a survey course of Japanese history and a Hiroshima seminar. Minear got his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1968. He is best known for his book about the Tokyo War Crimes Trials, Victors' Justice, He has lived in Japan for many years and translated Japanese works into English.

Horton Hears a Who! is a 1970 American animated television special based on the 1954 Dr. Seuss book of the same name, Horton Hears a Who! It was produced and directed by Chuck Jones who previously produced the Seuss special How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for MGM Television and first broadcast March 19, 1970 on CBS. The special contains songs with lyrics by Seuss and music by Eugene Poddany, who previously wrote songs for Seuss' book, The Cat in the Hat Song Book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breaded cutlet</span> Meat in breading or batter

Breaded cutlet or braised cutlet is a dish made from coating a cutlet of meat with breading or batter and either frying or baking it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political messages of Dr. Seuss</span>

The political messages of American children's author and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss, are found in many of his books. Seuss was a liberal and a moralist who expressed his views in his books through the use of ridicule, satire, wordplay, nonsense words, and wild drawings to take aim at bullies, hypocrites, and demagogues.

<i>Green Eggs and Ham</i> (TV series) American animated television series based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name

Green Eggs and Ham, also known as Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving for its second and final season, is an American animated comedy adventure television series based on the 1960 Dr. Seuss book of the same title and created by Netflix.

Breakfast, the first meal of the day eaten after waking from the night's sleep, varies in composition and tradition across the world.

References

  1. 1 2 Wilmes, John (July 30, 2018). "Dr. Seuss' forgotten anti-war book made him an enemy of the right". The Outline. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Fensch, Thomas (2000). The man who was Dr. Seuss: the life and work of Theodor Geisel. Internet Archive. Woodlands, Tx. : New Century Books. ISBN   978-0-7388-3484-9.
  3. 1 2 "Green Eggs & Ham: The Second Serving 🍴 (Official Trailer) | Netflix After School". YouTube .
  4. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 252. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  5. Dr. Seuss considered the 1989 television special of The Butter Battle Book to be the most faithful rendition of any of his works.
  6. Schrader, Alvin M., and Canadian Library, Association (1995). Fear of Words: Censorship and the Public Libraries of Canada. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Library Association [ ISBN missing ]
  7. The Butter Battle Book, National Review , July 27, 1984, p. 16
  8. Clark, Roger S. "Is The Butter Battle Book's Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo Banned? What Has International Law to Say About Weapons of Mass Destruction?" New York Law School Law Review (v.58 2013/14) pp. 657–658
  9. Swift, Jonathan (2020), Gulliver's Travels, Seth Thompson, Solon, ISBN   978-1-0942-4472-3, OCLC   1241255067 , retrieved October 7, 2022{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)