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Theodore S. Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield Massachusetts.To all of us he is better known as the beloved Dr. Seuss.   His first children’s book was published in 1937.  And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street was a labor of love and a model of persistence as it was rejected over 25 times before finally being published.  At the time of his death in 1991 he had illustrated and written 44 books, many of which remain favorites of both children and adults.  Today, March 3, is Read Across America Day.

Dr. Seuss may best be remembered for his book The Cat in the Hat.  What many may not know is how the book came into being.  Geisel, in response to an article in Life magazine, accepted a challenge to write a children’s book that was brightly colored and visually stimulating in direct contrast to the bland primary readers used in the classrooms at the time.  He used just 236 words (sight words) from an elementary vocabulary list and took over nine months to complete the book.  What resulted was arguably one of the most influential primary readers to have ever been published.  It literally changed the way reading was presented in the classroom.  

In the spirit of the day, we have a special Story Time with Zoë.  Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?   

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
 

Langniappe:  Check out the NEA website for scads of information on how to celebrate reading with your child today and throughout the year.  Also, check out Seussville.  It’s pretty cool, too.

Welcome to the first of what I hope to be a recurring entry on the pages you see before you.  I got the idea for this as I painstakingly labored to bring my adoring masses (all three of you) some Christmas Cheer.  It was my first attempt at a podcast.  Songs were mislabeled, some were left out, others snuck in there all in an attempt to provide some Yuletide Cheer.  Honestly, the entire process was horribly painful and by the time I had completed the podcast, I could care less if Old Saint Nick ever came to see me or for that matter any of you.  That’s right.  For all I cared the fat little elf could find himself stuck in your chimney only to be discovered as his rotting charred corpse began to fall into the embers of your fireplace after months of winter log burning.  “Honey, you forgot to open the flue, again.  No.  Wait.  Good God!  Honey, take the kids and run, get outta here.  That’s not soot–it’s Santa!  Dear Lord in Heaven.” 

But I’m better now. 

And I’ve a refurbished sense of purpose as it pertains to the podcast.  I’m very proud of the fact that my children are excellent readers.  In all honesty, it’s something I was, and still am not very good at doing.  Oh, I’d love to tell you that my youth was spent absorbed in the fantasies of Twain, London, Thoreau and the likes.  But it wasn’t.  On the other hand, Zoë, at the seasoned age of just turned 7, is an excellent reader and is making huge strides with every passing day.  She will dive headfirst into a book and seldom emerge until she has devoured every single page.  Zane is just as passionate about his reading and in my opinion is going to catch up to Zoë’s reading level in no time.

So here it is, the very first edition of Story time with Zoë.  Round up the kiddies and grab your copy of this week’s story, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.  It’s one of the very first books I ever read to Zoë (it’s one of the first books I ever read to myself) and it is still just as enjoyable and fun to read as ever. 

So let me know.  Do we keep Story time with Zoë as a regular posting?  If so, got any books you’d like her to try?  We love new books!