“A person’s a person no matter how small.” If you’ve ever read Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss, you will recognize this quote from Horton the Elephant. In celebration this month of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, I thought we might look back at this Seuss classic from 1954 and how, after 65 years, it still helps children and adults understand the importance and value of one person.

When Horton Hears a Who was first published in 1954 the United States Supreme Court had just ruled in Brown vs. the Board of Education that segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment, demonstrating the importance of voices joining together to make a difference. However, it wasn’t until 1960 that Ruby Bridges, a 6-year-old girl in Louisiana, dared to integrate into an elementary school in her home town. Today, in the schools where I teach, I see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for his children and all children coming to pass as I watch children work and play together with no thought of color discrimination.

But when I read Horton Hears a Who in 2020 I picture a different battle: the battle for the smallest of lives, the little lives who have no voices. Many of the current political battles are over life itself and who is entitled to it. In Dr. Seuss’s book, it’s not that Kangaroo hated people, she just couldn’t believe there were people so small they could live on a speck of dust. Every person down in Whoville, the town on the speck of dust, had to make themselves heard. When there were no shirkers, their voice was finally loud enough. Then the Kangaroo was ready not only to believe but also to help protect them “no matter how small-ish.”

The importance of each person is a value we need to be teaching as we read to our children. It’s also a value we need to incorporate into our writing. Are all our voices being heard?  What is one more step we can take to be the voice of our smallest?

I do believe Dr. Seuss and the Lord would approve. After all “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Blessings, Gail Cartee