What's the lesson of Tootle?

According to this 2001 article from Publishers Weekly, the 1945 Little Golden Book Tootle is the third bestselling children’s book of all time.

If you remember reading this book, or if you’ve read it to your kids, what do you make of its message?

Is it, as an Amazon reviewer wrote, “a story about conforming to societal pressures”? Or, as the writer on this page about children’s self-esteem claims, is it a “children’s classic ‘it’s okay to be different’ self concept building story”?

Do you regard Tootle‘s message to “Stay on the Rails No Matter What” as an important life lesson for children and adults alike? Or, like the author of this blog, who also includes a helpful summary of the story, does it bother you?