Simple Pleasures

Friday, March 2nd, marks the anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to children as Dr. Seuss, created colorful books with imaginative characters and fun rhyming words to excite and encourage young children to read.  To honor Dr. Seuss’ memory, each year on March 2nd American children celebrate Read Across America Day.  In the school where I work, older children visited with younger children to share their books and the gift of their reading.  The result was a wonderful opportunity for older and younger children to make a connection, to give and receive positive attention, and to find value in a skill that many of us take for granted.

I want to share with you one of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories.  It’s called The Sneetches, from the book The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961).  I was introduced to this story when it became part of the animated musical television special, Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973).  What I like about The Sneetches is that it offers a way for children to understand something about the effects of prejudice and discrimination.  It is a story that made an impression on me; I may have seen it a couple of times in nearly forty years, and yet I remember its timeless message.

There is a place in my heart, and in the hearts of so many children (and former children), for Dr. Seuss’ books.  For many kids, they offer some of the earliest opportunities to read independently; a joy and a triumph for a beginning reader.  For me, they also remind me of my childhood and fond memories of discovering Dr. Seuss for the first time.  I can’t help but feel happy thinking about Green Eggs and Ham, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and of course, The Cat in the Hat (although, I have to admit that, as a quiet introvert and an oldest child, that one always stressed me out a bit).  I wonder what your favorite Dr. Seuss story might be?

See if you enjoy The Sneetches as I do, then take the poll below.  You can check the results of the poll while you’re here, then check back later to see what others are saying!