Storytelling
One of the major themes of the book is power that learning to read brings. Once the very young children who must be read to at first finally learn the words and take over the act of reading themselves, they can go back again and again to the crazy stories that Mr. Fox spins with outrageous rhymes. Throughout the book, Mr. Fox introduces various characters—Sue and Slow Joe Crow and the tweetle beetles, for instance—and casts them in funny little stories. By mastering the words in this one book, kids gain power to unlock access to several different stories.
Facing One’s Fears
Mr. Knox is depicted as growing increasingly intimidated by the ability of Mr. Fox to come up as well as perfectly voice intricate and difficult rhymes. In fact, after the cover art, the very first illustration—even before the story starts—is a pair of hands holding up a sign that warns “Take it Slowly. This book is dangerous.” The gauntlet is thus thrown down right from the beginning: both adult and kid readers will find it difficult to replicate the ability of Mr. Fox. As a result, many are likely to be as intimidated by the thought of trying as Mr. Knox. Mr. Knox, however, overcomes this trepidation and, in fact, goes on demonstrate he is just as well-equipped to recite dangerously difficult rhymes as the fox. So will readers who simply face down their fear and try.
Making Learning Fun
Throughout the book, both Mr. Fox and Mr. Knox refer to their recitations of difficult rhymes as a “game.” The Fox introduces the competition as an “easy game to play” while eventually Mr. Knox reaches a point of frustration where the Fox promises “Well find another game to play.” Of course, he doesn’t because, well, he’s a fox and foxes are devious. The book reflects that characterization because Seuss goes to great lengths to impress upon his young readers that learning how to read and recite this crazy-hard tongue twisters isn’t work, but play. In addition to the warning sign at the beginning before the story starts, there is a another sign at the end after the story concludes. It reads: “Now is your tongue number?” Throughout, Seuss subtly tricks kids into thinking that learning is fun. Unfortunately, of course, all kids will eventually have to discover this is not necessarily always the case.
