Thanks, Teddy G for this Seussian lovin'
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.
It's a modern-day fairy tale, just with a twist,
And we'll start you off by describing the gist.

Bartholomew C is an unlucky kid,
Who happens upon the grand King of Didd,
His hat won't come off, but rather, instead,
Another one pops back onto his head.

In the year '38, Seuss published this gem,
And it's been super popular ever since then
We continue to laugh—at home or at school—
Over a kingdom and its silly old rule.

You might have heard that it's is written in prose,
But don't start shouting all those "oh no"s!
The rhythm is right and the lines all just go,
Proving the doc is always a pro.

The 500 Hats of our main man B.C.
Has no big awards, but Shmoop must decree,
For all of you Seuss fans, the big and the small,
It's a total must-read—for one and for all.

P.S. Avid readers, are you looking for more?
Well we've got Bartholomew, we've got him galore!
In the sequel—part 2—he's King Derwin's page.
And he's still in the right, no matter his age.

Tread softly, parents, because you tread on your authority.

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins pokes fun at rules and authority figures, making it a dangerous but worthwhile read to share with your youngsters. See, all the authority figures in this gem have a crazed foolhardiness that would earn them an invite to a Mad Hare's tea party any day. And standing amongst this craziness is the sole voice of reason: one Bartholomew Cubbins. You guessed it: the child.

So why should you care about a book that works to demote authority figures when you're trying your best to instill a sense of rules and order in your child's life or—gulp—a classroom full of kids? Well, we've got a couple handy little reasons for you.

(1) It's fun, but more on that below.

(2) We adults need to face it: some of our rules can be pretty absurd, and the lengths we go to maintain them are even worse. Why do we need to take our hats off indoors? Why ain't ain't an acceptable word? And what scientific study has determined that a child's face will stay that way? Maybe we need to laugh at ourselves as much as our kids need to laugh at us. And, hey, if that's the case, better we laugh together, right?

Why Your Kids Should Care

But what undercuts the authority of parents and teachers is certainly jolly good fun for children. They'll get a kick from seeing all the absurd authority figures following their foolish King in a quest to remove a country boy's cap.

From Sir Snipps to Yeoman the Bowman, the executioner to Nadd and his wise forefathers, there are a lot of crazy Seussian characters to enjoy in The 500 Hats. Chances are the children will also dig the fairy tale tone and story, giving even wee-veterans of Green Eggs and Ham a unique take on their favorite Seuss brand insanity.

And did we mention the bully gets his comeuppance at the end while the hero walks away with a bag full of gold? Because they'll probably get a kick out of that ending too.