March 1, 2004

An ice sculpture statue commemorates Dr. Seuss' birthday at his alma mater, Dartmouth College.

How about some green eggs and ham?

Sure, why not?

They'd hit the spot.

At least that's according to Dr. Seuss. And kids think so, too. Just ask their librarians. Green Eggs and Ham (a book Seuss is said to have written after New York publishing legend Bennett Cerf bet him $50 he couldn't write a book using only 50 words) still delights, along with other Seuss classics.

"Well, in my own house, it all started with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," remembers Anne Rivecca, a youth services coordinator at Spring Lake District Library in Michigan.

Although her own kids have since graduated from college, Rivecca still sees lots of pre-schoolers and early elementary students gravitate towards the Dr. Seuss titles. From an informal poll among her fellow librarians, she explains that kids are especially excited about the colors and rhymes in the books. "For some reason, Horton Hears a Who! is always popular," she adds. "Kids can't get enough of that silly elephant."

Visit the Seussentenial pledge pages here.

That kind of enthusiasm helps explain why the National Education Association is centering its Read Across America campaign this year on Seuss' birthday. Libraries and schools across the country are planning Seuss-themed events for the first week of March, and many of them are listed on the NEA's "Seussentienial" pledge pages. Educators and parents can log on to community pages to see what local schools and organizations have planned. Each page also includes a link to archived pledges from years past. To date, thousands of ideas—from green eggs and ham breakfasts to celebrity Yertle the Turtle school read-ins—have been shared.

Horton Hears a History
The man himself was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, MA, as Theodor Seuss Geisel, to a father who ran a brewery and a mother who worked in a bakery. According to their family history, his mom often memorized the names of the pies that were on special each day and chanted them to customers. If the young Geisel had any problems sleeping, she would share her pie-selling chants with the boy until his eyes stayed shut for good.

As an adult, Geisel credited his mom for "the rhythms in which I write and the urgency with which I do it." When he started writing and illustrating children's books, he decided to use Seuss, his mother's maiden name and his own middle name, and keep Geisel for more "serious" work.

Dr. Seuss was never really a doctor. He did graduate from Dartmouth College and attended Oxford, but it was while working as a cartoonist for a New York newspaper and creating ads for a bug repellent named Flit that he began thinking about the Who-ville creatures that we have come to know and love.

The strangest Dr. Seuss revelation? He mainly liked to write from inside a locked observation tower in La Jolla, CA—for eight or more hours at a time.

Seuss Obsessed
Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday is turning out to be a perfect reason for some to celebrate their own quirks—and to share their obsessions with others.

"I enjoy the innocence of Dr. Seuss and the deeper meaning which is found throughout his stories," says Wayne Stocks, the creator of a Web site devoted to all things Seuss. "Whether it's the political message of The Butter Battle Book or the simple description of life in Oh, The Places You'll Go!, Dr. Seuss tells stories which interest kids and teach grownups important lessons at the same time."

Stocks started his Web site in the late 1990s as a small component of his personal home page. He had been searching for information on Dr. Seuss on the Internet, but he felt that it wasn't well organized.

"There was not one site which I felt was a good comprehensive tribute to Dr. Seuss," says Stocks. "That's what I set out to do."

Check out ESeuss.com, Stocks' Web site dedicated to the kid lit doctor.

He's done it, all right. ESeuss.com is the fruit of his labor, brimming with links, information and other "Seussisms." He's not done, yet, however: "[L]ike wine—so I'm told—Dr. Seuss only gets better with age."

It's that same kind of sentiment that has Dartmouth College adding a white and red striped hat to the "O" in its name—at least for now. The school has also produced a book called Who's Who and What's What that is stuffed with Seuss facts and trivia—from the importance of the letter "A" in The Cat's Quizzer to a definition of a zum-zum zummer from A Cat in the Hat Song Book.

An on-line version of Who's Who and What's What is located here.

Raymond Hamel, a librarian at the University of Wisconsin, published his own catalogue of all things Seuss in 1994. Why was it important to re-read every Seuss book and list all this seemingly useless trivia? "Because it's fun," says Hamel. He's especially pleased that his son's school is planning a green eggs and ham tea party for March 2.

Proud Dartmouth students are getting in on the celebrations, too. A few inspired souls braved the cold Hanover, NH winter to create a 35-foot tall Cat in the Hat snow sculpture that will live on campus until spring. And on March 2, Dartmouth President James Wright is expected to read to students from his favorite Seuss books.

Beyond the Birthday
Organizers at Read Across America hope that such enthusiasm will pique the curiosity of kids (and adults); and that this kind of attention will get youngsters wanting to read more books.

Seussville is the place to visit for more info on the "Seussentennial Imagination Tour."

The program is supporting some on-going antics of its own, including Random House Children's Books "Seussentennial Imagination Tour." 100 days of events and celebrations honoring Dr. Seuss. The tour is scheduled to visit children's museums, community centers, and other public venues in more than 40 cities, bringing the books to life through free performances by actors and costumed characters.

Kids who attend these events will have the opportunity to contribute to a storyline that will end up as a book when the tour concludes.

Stocks, for one, is beaming from all the festivities. He sees Dr. Seuss' stories as a unique way to bond with each of his three kids, while making reading fun. "I have most of Dr. Seuss' books in a collection for the family, and I have given each of my children their own copy of Oh, The Places You'll Go! with a personal word from their dad written on the inside cover," he explains. "In that way, I combine my meager effort at words of advice with wisdom from the good doctor."

Resource:

• NEA's Read Across America Web site
• Visit Connect for Kids literacy and reading topic pages
• Visit the Celebrating Families calendar to find other upcoming celebrations.
  

Rob Capriccioso is a former staff writer for Connect for Kids.