Dr Seuss is a favorite among adults for the deeper themes of his books. Sneetches (racism). The Lorax (environmentalism, before it was cool). The Butter Battle Book (war). And, who are we kidding – adults love the playful language too because it not only makes us feel fun, silly even, but also it lassoes us to our own childhood discovery of language.
Each family seems to have their own Suessian Moments, these two writers included. For Annie, it was her husband reading Oh, the Places You’ll Go to her round belly before their son was born. Or Green Eggs and Ham –the first book her son read aloud. For Kim, her six year old daughter recently started an “I Believe in Pluto Club” with a friend because they both feel a bit irked about its oust from the solar system. Kim’s daughter’s reason for being irked? “A planet’s a planet no matter how small.” Thanks, Horton.
What a gift Dr. Suess has given so many families—a love of reading. And this year, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on the birthday of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904). There are events all over the country. Coming up on Feb 15th, Justin Bieber reads The Cat in the Hat for BOOK IT!®.
And, please, share your favorite Dr. Suess book with us. We’d love to hear how this amazing author and his 44 children’s books have affected your life.
