As parents we all know that there are times when it is difficult to get the kids away from the TV. The challenge is to take that focus and move it to something more worthwhile.
For Christmas, my 5-year-old received the film ‘Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who’. A story about an Elephant named Horton, who discovers that upon a tiny little speck, a whole world exists and needs protection from enemies plain and not so obvious. With its beautiful animation and charming rhyming narration, it was a hit with all three of my children.
My husband I seized the opportunity to continue the interest and borrowed ‘Horton Hears a Who’ from the library.
GraceAvalon, a kindergartener and just learning to read, was enthralled. Although the story differs slightly from the book to the film – the moral stays the same, “a person's a person, no matter how small”.
It was during the climactic struggle at the end of the story when the other animals decide that Horton should be caged and punished for believing in something that the others cannot hear when GraceAvalon said “Horton should just give them the flower”. (The speck was being carefully kept on a clover.)
This sentiment surprised me, because relinquishing the flower meant the extinction of the Whos.
“Really honey? Why should Horton give them the clover?” I asked lightly.
“Because everyone is mad and yelling at Horton, they would stop if he just gave them the clover” she replied.
“But what about the Whos? If Horton gives them the clover then Horton can’t take care of them anymore and they might die.”
I could see that this troubled her. GraceAvalon is a pleaser, it was painful to her to think of making waves.
Before GraceAvalon could answer I added, “Sometimes it’s not easy to do what is right. Sometimes people yell, or are unhappy, or even make fun of you for something that you know is right. Sometimes it’s really hard to stay with the things that you believe when others disagree.”
GraceAvalon stared at the pictures.
“Horton should say ‘No’” she concluded. “Even though Kangaroo is yelling and being mean, Horton has to take care of the Whos. ‘Cause a person’s a person, no matter how small. Like me.”
“Their voices were
heard! They rang out clear and clean.
And the Elephant smiled. “Do you see what I mean? …
They’ve proved they are persons, no matter how small.
And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of
All!”
I almost cried as I hugged GraceAvalon – my little girl Heard A Who!
