Heads up, fellow Shmoopers, we've got an odd tale,
in which kindness is just one big epic fail.

From the rhythmic pen of Doctor Theodor Seuss,
It's none other than Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose.

There's Thidwick, a moose with a moss-munching love,
who has quite the big heart and is meek as a dove.
One day, he gives a lift to a needy wee bug,
and onto his antlers goes the little wee thug.
That little small bug soon invites friends aboard,
and soon Thidwick's poor horns play host to a horde.

What's a big-hearted moose supposed to do?
Be nice to guests and kick them out, too?!

First published way back in 1948,
this book's been on store shelves since that very date.
Upon release, it was lauded and praised
By all of the critics, who loved it for days.

They loved the color scheme: red, black, and blue.
They loved the lesson: they felt it rang true.
They loved the drawings: so cartoony and new.
They loved, well, they loved the whole kit-and-kaboo.

Thidwick and Co. have even gone to the screen,
although not the same screen
where you can see a giant Horton preen.

It may not be his most famous work,
But it's stayed on our minds thanks to one quirk.
See, this super kind moose has created a burn
among parents 'bout the lessons to learn.

Some say Thidwick is what right-wingers crave,
that it argues social states create nothing but knaves.
Others see the book as a liberal's fight,
showing the harm of the so-called "property right."

On what side will you find your Thidwick creed?
There's only one way to find out. Let's read!

Very often with Dr. Seuss stories, there gets to be an accepted reading of the text that everybody just accepts as the way it is. The Lorax is about environmentalism, The Butter Battle Book is about the Cold War, and The Sneetches is about the idiocy of racism. While there are certainly other ways to read these texts, it is definitely swimming against the tide of popular opinion to do so.

But Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose has managed to avoid this fate, and instead critics and pundits have read the book and walked away with completely different ideas of its meaning. Neil Reynolds sees the poem as describing the dangers of a welfare state, while Aeon J. Skoble reads it as arguing against certain views on property rights. And still other readers have noted that it could be a parable on immigration issues. In short, this one's up for interpretive grabs.

As such, any parent will be challenged to come up with his or her own reading of Thidwick's tale. You can take in the other opinions out there, weigh them against each other, sprinkle in your own, and see what you come up with. You can do this with the child as well, teaching them how to draw on the words and pictures to create their own version of what the story means.

This skill of culling from the text to form an opinion is a valuable one for developing critical thinking skills, and the lack of popular consensus regarding Thidwick makes it the perfect practice grounds for you and your young one to hone your chops.

Why Should Your Kids Care?

At one point in the story, there is a picture of a moose with a bear, a turtle, a fox, and a host of bugs, squirrels, birds, and mice living it up on its antlers. Need we say more? Kids will love this story because it's utter nonsense. And as all kids know, nonsense is absolutely wonderful.

The story does have a serious lesson tucked inside all the ridiculousness, but thanks to hilarity on pretty much every page, it goes down easily. The poetic meter has a quick, upbeat tempo that hastens as the story progresses, and the illustrations are charmingly animated and fit the surreal tone of the poem perfectly. Chances are decent there will be a fair bit of giggling when you read this one. And if not, well, then add some ridiculousness by reading it while standing on your head.