primsong: (books)
primsong ([personal profile] primsong) wrote2006-03-02 11:17 am
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Happy Seuss Day!

It is the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Suess - which in my case means I get to give a presentation about his life to the first and second grade classes about an hour from now. I wrote up a biography for him at about their level of understanding and get to do a Q & A on him and his life. What an interesting man he was. :-)

My favorite thing was the way he kept a closet full of crazy hats in the observatory he used for a studio. Whenever writers block loomed, he would put on a silly hat to get back in the mood. That and how cranky he would get when well-meaning printers would "correct" his colors to make the trees green instead of pink, etc... Heh.

Wear a bow tie and read a few rhyming tongue-twisters today. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday! St. Seuss

[identity profile] my-cocoon.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
*puts on Frodo Lives hat and clears throat to read*

In Beaver town lived a librarian named Prim who would read to children time and again
Some days she’d share stories or plant Morning Glory’s wearing flats and wearing silly hats.
But today was a birthday of a friend whose stories she’d share once again
About fishes with dishes and cats wearing hats acting silly as a goose thus wrote Dr. Seuss.
What to do what to do worried Prim who had to stand before the assembly again
To read silly rhymes and mark them in time properly honoring the Author her Friend.

Re: Happy Birthday! St. Seuss

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
:-D

I must say this is one of the more interesting verses I've ever read!

I wish I could have had the time to read some of his tales to them, even though they've all heard them before they're always fun to read again. So much to talk about and the kids were fascinated - I'd love to be able to "do" authors this way more often.

[identity profile] estellye.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fox in Socks" was one of my favorite books as a child, and my sister loved "Green Eggs and Ham". But Dr. Suess had a way of making me cry. I could barely read or watch "The Lorax", and I always cried when Horton saved the Who's and when the egg he tended hatched and it was an elephant-bird (how is that for the nature/nurture question, lol). Thanks for remembering him today on his birthday, Prim! I am sure the kids really enjoyed your presentation!

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks - it went well. I spent about half an hour with each class in their classrooms, talking about him and answering questions. It's fun when they all exclaim with excited recognition when I would talk about how he wrote this title or that one. He wrote some pretty good stuff for adults too - smart man.

I know what you mean about the Lorax - and then there were those "green pants with nobody inside them" that scared the tar out of me when I was very small. What a gift he had.

[identity profile] accioboytoy.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I was informed of this fact this morning as I drove Brynn to school; his favorite is "The Cat In The Hat Comes Back" and "Green Eggs & Ham" - mine, too =D

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Green Eggs and Ham! The book he wrote after a publisher friend bet him fifty bucks he couldn't write a book with only fifty words. Love it! For me, it's the Sneetches, and good ol' Fox in Socks.

The kinders got to make oversized bow ties and red and white striped hats from construction paper. They were all so cute!

[identity profile] accioboytoy.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
First and second graders rule, in my book. I have more fun volunteering in Brynn's class than should be allowed. My OWN school days were certainly not anywhere near as entertaining as 2 hours a day with them.

Plus, I get lots of hugs. I like hugs. =D

[identity profile] meneleth.livejournal.com 2006-03-03 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, Seuss -- Someone wrote a Green Eggs & Lembas parody a while ago at the original Fanboard that was hysterically funny.

We have a special fondness for One Fish Two Fish and the Foot Book. Dennis got sent to Saudi Arabia for several months when Meghan had just turned 2. So that she would remember him while he was gone, we taped him reading those books and talking to her. That tape got played every day and she always said goodnight to Daddy at the end.

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-03 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
What a lovely idea! - when they are little, they really need those reminders, time moves so differently for them then.

[identity profile] the-tinidril.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 01:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" (my all-time favorite) to the class today. It's Dr. Seuss week. I read "I've got a Wocket in my Pocket" yesterday and they were screeching with laughter at the goofy critters all over the house! =)

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Ted put himself into that book - the Bofa on the Sofa is a self-portrait. :-D

[identity profile] accioboytoy.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I bought my husband a "fish" t-shirt at the Boston Aquarium - it makes me smile every time he wears it. Dr. Seuss is as much fun to read as it is to hear.

[identity profile] lin4gondor.livejournal.com 2006-03-02 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
It used to be a great source of amusement to our family of three to see how fast we could read "The Cat in the Hat" out loud, without making a mistake or stumbling. It flows pretty smoothly, actually.

One of my favorite of his books is "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" -- which also works well being read at warp speed. ;-) "Oh the Places You'll Go" is special, too; it makes a marvelous graduation present for a high school senior, especially an MK!

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-03 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
We once tried reading Fox in Socks *backwards* (not reversing the actual words, just their order). It was *hard!*

:-)

[identity profile] kimbys-place.livejournal.com 2006-03-03 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
I will not write them in a boat.
I will not write them in a moat.
I will not write them with bread and jam.
I cannot write them, Prim-I-Am!

Oh wait, I guess I just did.
((((hugs)))))

[identity profile] primsong.livejournal.com 2006-03-03 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Not in a boat? Not in a moat?
Not with some bread, not with some jam?
Write them! Write them! For you can,
Yes you can, Kimby-You-Am.

:-D