Did you know that March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’ birthday? In 1997, March 2nd was declared Read Across America Day by the National Education Association. Read Across America is a national celebration of reading and is a wonderful way to motivate kids to pick up a book …or a few!
You don’t need to twist my arm when it comes to celebrating reading or Dr. Seuss! We adore both over here!
To Celebrate Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss’ Birthday:
A Month of Seuss!
Last March, our {Virtual} Family Book Club was only a couple weeks old. We dabbled in Seuss, but we didn’t devote an entire month to his books. This year, I have selected four of our family’s favorites. I hope you enjoy them, too!
Horton Hatches the Egg
Published in 1940, Horton Hatches the Egg tells the story of an elephant who agrees to take care of a bird’s egg until her return. Little does Horton know, but Mayzie, the mama bird, has taken off for warmer weather. Horton is left to sit on the egg, staying true to his word despite comments from onlookers.
I have loved Horton since I was a little girl. I love his loyalty, his compassion. My children weren’t huge fans of Horton until we went to a local performance of Seussical the Musical. After that, they were Horton obsessed. I must have read and re-read Horton Hatches the Egg and Horton Hears a Who! a gazillion times in the weeks following the performance!
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
This Caldecott winner was originally published in 1949. It tells the tale of a king who, tired of the more typical weather, opts for oobleck over rain and snow. The king’s magicians make gooey green oobleck fall from the sky and the result is a disastrous mess! This book has two important messages. First, be careful what you wish for. Second, it’s important to apologize.
And an added bonus? After reading this book, you can make some oobleck of your own! The kids will love every second of it!
The Sneetches and Other Stories
This fantastic collection of Seuss stories was originally published in 1961. The Sneetches is an entertaining tale that carries an important message about prejudice. It is a wonderful way to start talking about difficult topics with your children and is as important today as it was years ago. In addition, the book contains several other Seusstastic stories, including a family favorite of ours: What Was I Scared Of?, a delightfully goofy story about a fellow who is scared of a pair of green pants with nobody inside them! I mean, c’mon… that’s such a fun read aloud right there!
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
Published in 1973, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? is one of those stories that the adults appreciate as much as the children during each read aloud. I love its message of gratitude, and how you should never take anything in your life for granted. We all know that life can change in a blink. This is a wonderful reminder of that, told in classic Seuss style.
Take the learning to the next level
Are you looking for other ways to celebrate Read Across America Day? Be sure to check out my Dr. Seuss Read Across America Pinterest board which is chock full of oodles of pins on the subject! And, while you’re over there, be sure to check out my board devoted to one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books The Lorax.
Here are more My Little Poppies Dr. Seuss posts:
We just finished reading every Dr. Seuss book we could get our hands on. Favorites this time around include: Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, The Sneeches and Other Stories, Daisy Head Mayzie, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, What Pet Should I Get…
Have you read Hooray for Diffendoofer Day? I think homeschoolers will get a kick out of it. Finished by Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith.