The season of moms and grads will soon be upon us, and with it the deluge of cap-and-gown-themed party décor and overabundance of jewelry ads. Moms and grads will be treated to all manner of thoughtful gifts over the next month or so, many of which will be charming, amusing, or even useful, but I can tell you with certainty the two gifts that will be decidedly shunned: Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever.
How do I know this? Because as a thrift- and used-book-store enthusiast, I have seen these two titles popping up most often in discard bins and lost underneath dusty shelves. This is more unfortunate in the case of Munsch’s book, which was written during a time of great loss in his life and has some sweet moments. Moms, however, don’t deserve emotional manipulation on Mother’s Day. Dr. Seuss’s book can also strike a wrong chord (except perhaps for those graduating from preschool) with its singsong rhyming scheme and psychedelic color palette. And honestly, its vague sense of journeying is basically useless to grads, who could probably do with some concreteness in their lives.
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