Part of viewing art can involve looking for the meaning behind the visuals. That's also the same with great literature, poetry and even dream interpretation. Learning to look behind the lines in any of these fields is great practice for any other medium. Being able to link historical events, imagery or quotations to what we are examining gives greater value to the object and our own education. I love Eclectic Dad's examination of Six Socially Conscious Dr. Seuss Books. Maybe it's obvious that "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is about anti-materialism, but I never would have thought "Horton Hears A Who" is actually "an allegory for the Hiroshima bombing and the American post-war occupation of Japan." It's easy to write off children's literature (and especially Seuss) as just silly rhymes or childish topics, but the truth is these classics stay around for a reason and can be great springboards to deeper conversations with our kids.
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