All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Encyclopedia
All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a book of short essay
s by American
minister and author Robert Fulghum
. It was first published in 1988.
The title of the book is taken from the first essay in the volume, in which Fulghum lists lessons normally learned in American kindergarten
classrooms and explains how the world would be improved if adults adhered to the same basic rules as children, i.e. sharing, being kind to one another, cleaning up after themselves, and living "a balanced life" of work, play, and learning.
The book contains fifty short essays, ranging in length from approximately 200 to approximately 1,000 words, which are ruminations on topics ranging from surprise
s, holiday
s, childhood
, death
, and the lives of interesting people including Mother Teresa
. In his introduction, Fulghum describes these as having been "written over many years and addressed to friends, family, a religious community, and myself, with no thought of publication in book form."
(Roanoke, VA) in June, 1992, and was also presented by the Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis)
in 1996. The same personnel also created another musical production of the third book in his trilogy, Uh Oh, called Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas, which also premiered at Mill Mountain Theater in December 1998.
Bart Simpson
's chalkboard gag in You Only Move Twice
is "I did not learn everything I need to know in kindergarten." Fulghum was a member of The Rock Bottom Remainders
, a group whose members also included Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening
and author Stephen King
.
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minister and author Robert Fulghum
Robert Fulghum
Robert Lee Fulghum is an American author, primarily of short essays.He has worked as a Unitarian Universalist minister .During this same period he taught drawing,...
. It was first published in 1988.
The title of the book is taken from the first essay in the volume, in which Fulghum lists lessons normally learned in American kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
classrooms and explains how the world would be improved if adults adhered to the same basic rules as children, i.e. sharing, being kind to one another, cleaning up after themselves, and living "a balanced life" of work, play, and learning.
The book contains fifty short essays, ranging in length from approximately 200 to approximately 1,000 words, which are ruminations on topics ranging from surprise
Surprise (emotion)
Surprise is a brief emotional state experienced as the result of an unexpected event. Surprise can have any valence; that is, it can be neutral/moderate, pleasant, or unpleasant. If a person experiences a very powerful or long lasting surprise, it may be considered shock.-Reality...
s, holiday
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
s, childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
, death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, and the lives of interesting people including Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. In his introduction, Fulghum describes these as having been "written over many years and addressed to friends, family, a religious community, and myself, with no thought of publication in book form."
Reception
Although widely published, quoted and cited in other essays, Fulghum's essays (especially the title piece) have also been criticized as trite and saccharine. Fulghum addresses this in an essay in his subsequent book, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It wherein he mentions "grown-up" subjects such as sexuality.Musical adaptation
Fulghum worked with Ernie Zulia (Director) and David Caldwell (composer and music director) to create a musical based on Kindergarten, bearing the same name. It was premiered at Mill Mountain TheatreMill Mountain Theatre
Mill Mountain Theatre has served for more than 40 years as a nationally recognized professional, regional performing arts theatre committed to producing the highest quality theatre in Southwest Virginia, actively promoting and developing new theatre works, strengthening the artistic influence in...
(Roanoke, VA) in June, 1992, and was also presented by the Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis)
Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis)
The Phoenix Theatre is a professional non-profit theatre located in downtown Indianapolis, on Park Avenue near Massachusetts Avenue. It was founded by Bryan D. Fonseca in 1983, initially to perform the three-part science fiction play, Warp!...
in 1996. The same personnel also created another musical production of the third book in his trilogy, Uh Oh, called Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas, which also premiered at Mill Mountain Theater in December 1998.
Cultural influence
Over nearly two decades, the title essay, "All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten," has spawned countless parodies involving television shows, movies, books, and other phenomena. The standard format mirrors Fulghum's own work, starting with "All I Really Need To Know I Learned From [name]," followed by a list of quotes and/or in-jokes from the subject being parodied.Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's chalkboard gag in You Only Move Twice
You Only Move Twice
"You Only Move Twice" is the second episode of The Simpsons eighth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 3, 1996. The episode, based on a story idea by Greg Daniels, has three major concepts: the family moves to a new town; Homer gets a friendly, sympathetic...
is "I did not learn everything I need to know in kindergarten." Fulghum was a member of The Rock Bottom Remainders
Rock Bottom Remainders
The Rock Bottom Remainders is a rock and roll band consisting of published writers, most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language book, magazine, and newspaper authors. The band took its self-mocking name from the publishing term remaindered book, a work of which the unsold...
, a group whose members also included Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and author Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
.