"Today you are you! That is truer than true!/There is no one alive who is you-er than you!"
The 20th book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. Published in 1959 the Happy Birthday To You! book is about the Birthday Bird who throws the reader an amazing party on their Birthday in the land of Katroo.
Though the story shares the same name as the song Happy Birthday to You!, the two are not actually related.
Provides Examples Of:
- The Ace: The Birthday Bird is apparently this for the "Asso-see-eye-ation".
- All Animals Are Domesticated: Per the norm for Dr. Seuss' stories.
- Alliterative Name: The Birthday Bird.
- Cue the Sun: The Birthday Bird is implied to show up around this time in the "brightening sky" but, with "not all awake".
- Handshake Substitute: The "Secret Katroo Birthday Hi-Sign-and-Shake", only good people with birthdays may use this.
- Mooning: "You" in the book appears to accidentally do this at the Mustard-Off Pools.
- Pets as a Present: The Bird gives "You" several, including a Time-Telling Fish and some Hippo-Heimers.
- Public Bathhouse Scene: The Mustard-Off Pools.
- Ret-Gone: A "Wasn't" is apparently this. There is also apparently something called a Isn't."A Wasn't just isn't. He just isn't present."
- Sausage String Silliness: For lunch as a birthday rule."For Birthday luncheons, as a rule,
We serve hot dogs, rolled on a spool." - Skinny Dipping: "You" do this in the Mustard-Off Pools.
- Sugar Bowl: This is a story with no conflict whatsoever: just a bird giving a boy an amazing birthday.
- Uncle Pennybags: The Birthday Bird seems to be this, since he doesn't seem to care about expenses when sending one of the Pets as a Present to "Your" home."I'll have shipped home to you, Birthday Express.
That costs quite a lot. But I couldn't care less.
Today is your birthday! Today You are You!
So what if it costs me a thousand or two."
