Sunday, February 28, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!


A special birthday party will be held from 10:30 to 12:00, this Saturday, March 6th in the lower level of the library. It is a party to celebrate the contribution to children's literature by Theodor Seuss Geisel or as we all know him, Dr. Seuss.


Geisel was born in 1904. In 1927 he began his career submitting cartoons and humorous stories for magazines. He wrote To Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street while on a trip in 1937. The book was rejected by over two dozen publishers, but finally published with some success in 1938.


In 1954, Life magazine published a story about children having trouble learning to read. They stated that children's books were boring. Houghton Mifflin chose a list of 400 words, deemed important for children to know. Geisel was asked to whittle it down to 250 words. Out of that, grew a book with only 225 different words: The Cat in the Hat. Later, on a bet, Geisel wrote Green Eggs and Ham, a book of only 50 different words!


He wrote under two pen names. Dr. Seuss is the name he used for books that he both wrote and illustrated. Theo. LeSieg (Geisel spelled backwards) was the name he used for books he wrote that were illustrated by others.


Some of my favorite Geisel's books, star lead characters who demonstrate greatness by caring for the environment (The Lorax), by caring for others (Horton Hears a Who) and by giving children a beginning sense of democracy and equality (Yertle the Turtle).


I hope children will come with their favorite grown-up. Come to have birthday cake and fun with playdough, green shaving cream, colors, stickers, books, and a fishing game. Using the words of the Cat--who will also be in attendance-- “If you come, we’ll have fun. We’ll have fun that is funny."


We hope you will bring your child. I will be there along with many of my preschool friends. The Friends of the Library bookstore will be open during the party and every child who comes will receive a ticket for a free children's book to take home.

Toad House Publishing

Twinkletime Rhymes to Print

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