The Butter Battle Book was a 'childrens' book written by Dr. Seuss. It was published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 12, 1984.
The Butter Battle Book was written in the context of the Cold War. It is the story of land divided by a wall and divisive cultural traditions. On one side of the wall people eat their bread butter-side up and on the other they eat their bread butter-side down. The conflict between the two sides leads to an arms race, each competing to make bigger and better weapons to outdue the other, which results in the threat of mutual destruction. Each side possesses a small bomb, the smallest weapon of all, but neither has any defense against it. At the end of the story no resolution is reached. The question is left hanging for the reader to answer by his or her actions, much like the UNLESS question at the end of The Lorax. This book was written during the Nuclear Freeze era and reflects the concerns of the time.
The Butter Battle Book was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.