Dr. Seuss Day is a celebration of the birth of the beloved children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel. It is also a day to celebrate the joy of reading. March 2nd is celebrated in the United States by community centers, daycares, libraries, and schools all across the country. Adults and children everywhere can delight in reading Dr. Seuss’ and other authors’ books. The National Education Association began promoting Read Across America Day on Dr. Seuss’ birthday in 1998 and the event has been going strong since.
The Importance and Impact of Dr. Seuss on Children’s Literature
Dr. Seuss wrote in a revolutionary fashion for children’s literature at the time. He used playful rhymes, nonsense words and strange creatures in his stories. His most popular books, The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham were written in response to the staid, boring prose found in most children’s reading books of the time. While turning the usual method of teaching reading on its ear, he wove in lessons on morality and human nature as well as exploring environmental issues.
The Cat in the Hat, for example, was written with the limitation that it could contain no more than 225 real, English and mainly monosyllabic words. With rhyme and rhythm and clever illustration, Geisel created a book that children—and adults–actually enjoyed reading.
Background and Biography of Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in March 1904. Geisel took his first art class in high school and would later become an illustrator and cartoonist. He graduated from high school in 1921 and went to Dartmouth College, where he studied English and writing . During World War II he drew political cartoons for the New York Daily newspaper. During World War II, Geisel served in the U.S. Army in the documentary division.
Geisel had many cartoons published, including in Life and Vanity Fair. He worked in advertising and his ad campaign for Flit insect repellent became famous. He also illustrated a series of humor books.
Geisel’s first children’s book was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. It was rejected by almost 30 publishers but was finally published in 1937. It received good reviews but wasn’t a best seller. Horton Hatches the Egg became the first of several best sellers in 1940. The Cat in the Hat is what made him a household name. After a long life of contributing to children’s literature, Dr. Seuss passed away September 24, 1991, in La Jolla, California.
Dr. Seuss wrote over 60 books. Some of the most popular ones are:
Green Eggs and Ham – Sam-I-Am persists in trying to get a boy to taste green eggs and ham, the boy finally relents and decides he does indeed like green eggs and ham.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – A grumpy curmudgeon creature tries to foil the Whos’ Christmas plans by stealing the gifts and decorations but comes to realize that that is not what the holiday is about.
The Lorax – tells about the plight of the environment via the Lorax, the spokesperson of the trees who confronts the Onceler, a businessman causing environmental destruction.
Fox In Socks – a fun, wily fox tells tongue twisters and rhymes to a dog who has a hard time keeping up
Horton Hatches the Egg – Horton, the long suffering, ever faithful elephant sits on a bird’s egg year round while she goes on vacation and abandons him. He and the egg are kidnapped and sold to a circus as a novelty. At last the egg hatches and Horton gets to keep it.
Dr. Seuss made learning to read–and teaching reading–fun. He used rhyme and humor in his stories and they were intriguing and different. He described fantastical creatures and places. His books encouraged people to be silly and think up silly things, even using nonsense words.
Even though he may have been describing imaginary creatures and places, Dr. Seuss managed to impart life lessons through his characters and their adventures. Many of his books are considered timeless classics. Even in some of his more problematic titles, children can learn to think critically about some of the issues not only brought up in his stories, but by them. Six Dr. Seuss Enterprise titles have been voluntarily pulled from publication due to outdated, hurtful stereotypes and imagery. This is a prime opportunity for older students to explore cultural norms, stereotypes, racism and bigotry, to name a few topics.
How Dr. Seuss’ Day is Observed and Celebrated:
Schools and libraries celebrate Dr. Seuss day with fun events that center around his books. Some classes throw Cat in the Hat themed birthday parties or make crafts. Children learn about the life of Dr. Seuss and read his books. There are film and video adaptations to enjoy as well.
Some Ideas for Dr. Seuss-Themed Activities and Events Are:
1. Read-a-Thon:
Organize a Dr. Seuss Read-a-Thon where participants can read their favorite Dr. Seuss books or have someone read aloud to them. Consider setting reading goals or challenges. Using ReadaFun’s software makes this super easy.
2. Costume Party:
Encourage participants to come dressed as their favorite Dr. Seuss characters. You can have a costume contest with prizes for the most creative costumes.
3. Craft Stations:
Set up craft stations for children to create Dr. Seuss-themed crafts. This could include making Cat in the Hat hats, Horton the Elephant ears, or Truffula Trees.
4. Seussical Snacks:
Prepare snacks inspired by Dr. Seuss books. For example, you can have green eggs and ham (dyed scrambled eggs and ham), Lorax fruit skewers, or Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes.
5. Scavenger Hunt:
Create a Dr. Seuss-themed scavenger hunt with clues related to his books. Participants can follow the clues to find hidden treasures or quotes from Dr. Seuss stories.
6. Storytelling Corner:
Set up a cozy storytelling corner where someone can read Dr. Seuss stories to small groups of children. Consider using puppets or props to make it more interactive.
7. Dr. Seuss Trivia:
Host a trivia game with questions about Dr. Seuss and his books. You can have teams compete against each other for prizes.
8. Decorate-a-Door Contest:
Encourage classrooms or groups to decorate their doors with a Dr. Seuss theme. Have a contest and reward the most creative door decorations.
9. Seussical Dance Party:
Create a playlist of music inspired by Dr. Seuss stories and host a dance party. Include songs from animated adaptations or create your own Seussical soundtrack.
10. Educational Workshops:
Incorporate educational workshops or activities related to literacy, rhyming, and creativity inspired by Dr. Seuss’s writing style.
Remember to check if there are any copyright restrictions when using Dr. Seuss characters and themes for public events. These activities can be adapted for various settings, including schools, libraries, or community centers.
Dr. Seuss’ Books in Early Childhood Education
With their whimsical presentation and lyrical, rhythmic sounds, many Dr. Seuss books are perfect for early childhood programs. The educational value of his stories and messages, such as tolerance, self-discovery, and caring for our environment, fall right in with an early childhood curriculum and lend themselves to many fun activities.
Dr. Seuss’ work helped establish children’s literature as its own genre. He used simple sentences that communicated big ideas, dialogue and plot to the reader, and kept it interesting. No more Dick meets Jane stories. He had the revolutionary idea that children’s books ought to appeal to the children, not just teach them to read.
Readers develop pragmatics and syntax and phonics skills while they are reading and listening to Dr. Seuss books. There is a demonstrable positive impact on literacy and language development. But readers are simply enjoying the stories, unaware that they are improving their linguistic skills.
Conclusion
Dr. Seuss has had an enduring influence on children’s literature and education. Although we encourage readers to explore the magic of his books on Dr. Seuss day, any day is a good day to read a fun book!
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