Seuss, Dr. (Theodor Seuss Geisel) | "You want stars like a Star-Belly Sneetch...?"

Seuss, Dr. (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

Two original illustrations from "The Sneetches," signed ("Dr. Seuss"), likely circa 1961

Two original illustrations or studies (506 x 378 mm). Ink, pencil, and tempera on artist's board, signed ("Dr. Seuss") at lower left and right; extremely faint toning, a few smudges (presumably the artist's), two small holes near the top of each work, one or two chips along edge. Framed and glazed, with early typescript with manuscript annotations taped to the backing board of each work.  

Two remarkable illustrations from Seuss's "The Sneetches," addressing antisemitism and inclusion.

"Those stars weren't so big. They were really so small

You might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all.

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches

Would brag, 'We're the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.'

With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they'd snort

'We'll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!'

And whenever they met some, when they were out walking,

They'd hike right on past them without even talking."

The story of "The Sneetches" features yellow bird-like creatures, some of whom have a green star on their bellies. At the beginning of the story, Sneetches without stars are ostracized by those with stars. An entrepreneur—and swindler—named Sylvester McMonkey McBean offers the starless Sneetches the opportunity to acquire them through his Star-On machine (depicted in one of the present drawings), for the price of three dollars. The treatment is instantly popular, but this upsets the original star-bellied Sneetches, as they feel threatened of losing their special status. McBean then tells these Sneetches of his Star-Off machine, with this service costing ten dollars. The Sneetches who originally had stars eagerly pay the fee to have their once-defining feature removed in order to remain special. McBean, however, allows the recently starred Sneetches through this machine as well. Ultimately—and perhaps inevitably—the situation escalates, with the Sneetches running from one machine to the next. This frenzy continues until the Sneetches are bankrupted, and McBean departs as a rich man, amused by their folly (also depicted through one of the present illustrations). Despite McBean's claim that "you can't teach a Sneetch," they ultimately learn from their experience that no type of Sneetch is superior to another.

"The Sneetches" was intended by Seuss as a satire addressing discrimination between races and cultures, and was inspired by his opposition to antisemitism. The story was first published in 1953, and appeared in book form 1961 as The Sneetches and Other Stories, which also incorporated Seuss's "The Zax," "Too Many Daves," and "What Was I Scared Of?". In 1973, "The Sneetches" was adapted into an animated TV musical special, Dr. Seuss on the Loose.

Routinely ranked as one of the top children's books, the themes and relevance of "The Sneetches" have endured over the last seven decades. In 1998, NATO translated the collection into Serbo-Croatian with the intention of distributing 500,000 copies to children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of a campaign to encourage tolerance.

Two vibrant images from one of Seuss's most important and enduring works.