AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2008 > March > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHappy Birthday Dr. Seuss
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today I thought we’d tip our hats to reading’s top cat.
Sunday marked the birthday of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, the man who taught us to read, to love books and turned whimsical characters into our friends. Schools across the country are serving green eggs and ham and holding birthday parties to honor Dr. Seuss. Guest readers will pop into schools and share some of their favorite books.
It’s easy to forget the impact of Dr. Seuss. He famously wrote “The Cat in the Hat” following a challenge from his publisher. That publisher read a national report showing most schoolchildren had trouble reading because their books were boring.
Can you imagine what schools and books would be like without Dr. Seuss? What is your favorite Seuss character and book?
Here’s an ode I once wrote to Dr. Seuss:
Kids would not read in a boat.
They would not read in a moat.
They would not read what so easily bored,
What felt like chores and brought on snores.
They would not, could not read those old shams
‘Til Seuss made it fun with his friend Sam I Am.
Services »
Comments
By Jeff
March 3, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
The latest movie adaptation of one of his books (and one of my favorites) is coming out sometime this month - I think. Horton Hears a Who!
By teach1
March 3, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
and thank goodness it will be rated G. I hate when producers take a good children’s book and make it PG or worse!
By V for Vendetta
March 3, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this
Oh the Thinks you can Think …
Seuss’s impact on the lives of children all over the world deserves recognition. Maybe it will inspire more parents to sit down and read his books with their children. If only …
By Amber
March 3, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
I am a teacher. My school is having a contest for the best dressed Seuss character. Any ideas (besides Cat in the Hat or Thing One and Thing Two)? Cheap and homemade would be best. Thanks!
By Lucille Willoughby
March 3, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
I’m sure he’s been busily rotating in his grave the last few years, what with such god-awful treatments of his work as the live-action “Grinch” and “Cat in the Hat”. Geissel/Seuss did not believe in the mass-marketing of his work, given its importance to children. Now, since his death, we see why he felt that way. “Horton Hears A Who” is a least animated—not live action. But at feature length it’s no doubt nowhere as good as the classic Warner Brothers cartoon version of “Horton Hatches An Egg”, which was 5 minutes long. You know, as long as it takes to read the damn story out loud to your kids.
By Vicki
March 3, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
Today our elementary school is celebrating the “World of Dr. Seuss” by having a read-in. Everyone is dressed in his or her pajamas and slippers. Some classes are having pancakes, some classes are having green eggs and ham, and a few classes (the 5th graders) are having pizza. Anything and everything Dr. Seuss is a good thing. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
By sigh
March 3, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this
Its sad how many people are celebrating the birthday of a pedofile!!!
By Kat
March 3, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Sigh: Can you cite a source for your claim? I’ve never heard of this. I didn’t see it on Wikipedia or anything.
I love Dr. Seuss!
By dramamom
March 3, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
a “pedifile?” really? I didn’t realize Seuss was into feet.
By LydiasDad
March 3, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
Come on, sigh. Cite a source for that kind of nonsense. Bet you don’t have one.
By Vicki
March 3, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
Sigh,
Poor thing, you don’t like it when others get attention, do you?
By stephanie
March 3, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this
sigh this a celebration for dr suess and your not getting any attention with your comments.
By Sam
March 3, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
Amber,
A contest? Why make any child a loser in the name of Dr. Seuss? Why not a celebration?
By Truth Filter
March 3, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this
GET SCHOOLED by Dr. Seuss
This is Jeff This is Jim Jeff Posts Jim Posts Jeff Posts on Jim’s Post Jim Posts on Jeff’s Post Jeff Posts on Jim’s Post on Jeff’s Post Jim Posts on Jeff’s Post on Jim’s Post Jim and Jeff Post on SET’s Post on V’s Post.
By HS Teacher
March 3, 2008 11:02 PM | Link to this
We are doing Dr Seuss at my HS. During morning announcements, a selection from a Seuss book is read aloud. My Principal declined to read Fox in Sox in public—it is a tongue twister for sure.
Kohl’s Dept store has four books as well as the matching stuffed animals for $5 each. I bought Fox in Sox and my granddaughter will get it for her birthday. In the meantime, I am carrying it around school.
Read a BOOK; it can take you anywhere.
By Vicki
March 3, 2008 11:25 PM | Link to this
Truth Filter- Thanks for the grin!
By luvs2teach
March 3, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this
LOL, Truth Filter - although I’m sad that catlady, oldschool, and I didn’t at least get a token mention :-)
Although I always enjoyed the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas (and the classic animated show with Boris Karloff as the Grinch), Dr. Seuss was not my favorite - I had my name on the library waiting list for Danny and the Dinosaur and Where the Wild Things Are instead of Green Eggs and Ham.
My kids enjoyed the Seuss stories when they were little - we belonged to a book club where you got so many free and then so many a month…not all were Dr. Seuss, though, and my son’s favorites were Go, Dog, Go and Are You My Mother both by P.D. Eastman (supposedly a protege of Seuss according to wikipedia and a lot of people credit Seuss with those two books, too). My daughter loved Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny which were both by Margaret Wise Brown.
Weirdest memory? In college we had a drinking game where you tried to make up Seuss-like lines (or use actual lines) that went with strange topics…my favorite? Sex - would not, could not in a boat…would not, could not with a goat…ROFLMAO!
By Attn: Clayton Parents
March 4, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
Seems Ericka Davis, and Eldrin Bell are so desperate to keep Norreese Haynes from finding out about the land deal that they forgot about one little detail: The law.
OCGA 21-2-217 (a) Paragraph 8 reads as follows:
“No person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by reason of such person?s presence or absence while enrolled as a student at any college, university, or other institution of learning in this state”
No one, absolutely no one, disputes the fact that Haynes is a student at the University of Phoenix. Clearly the above statue is designed specifically for cases such as Haynes.
It’s called due process Ericka and Eldrin. And I think it will be up to the courts to decide, not the likes of you two.
By jim d
March 4, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
Truth Filter,
i couldn’t have said it better :-)
By Sharon
March 30, 2008 3:29 AM | Link to this
occupation to a peculiar tribe or class of philosophers and this http://idisk.mac.com/dukebluedevilsfreewe/Public/0/free-christian-layouts-for-myspace.html >free christian layouts for myspace be in that state, and somewhat cheaper in the foreign and as the
By Sharon
March 30, 2008 3:29 AM | Link to this
occupation to a peculiar tribe or class of philosophers and this http://idisk.mac.com/dukebluedevilsfreewe/Public/0/free-christian-layouts-for-myspace.html >free christian layouts for myspace be in that state, and somewhat cheaper in the foreign and as the
By Wendy
March 30, 2008 6:42 AM | Link to this
silver from the mine to the market. But the value of silver, though it http://idisk.mac.com/christianbackgroundl/Public/0/free-myspace-codes-for-dot-hack-layouts.html >free myspace codes for dot hack layouts perfection. By opening a more extensive market for whatever part fvwrjutois
By Wendy
March 30, 2008 6:42 AM | Link to this
silver from the mine to the market. But the value of silver, though it http://idisk.mac.com/christianbackgroundl/Public/0/free-myspace-codes-for-dot-hack-layouts.html >free myspace codes for dot hack layouts perfection. By opening a more extensive market for whatever part fvwrjutois