Dr. Seuss inspires a new generation of young readers

One hundred children, from ages 3 to 8, poured into the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research on Saturday for an afternoon full of Dr. Seuss fun.

Two of Seuss’s wacky creations — Thing 1 and Thing 2, straight out of the “The Cat in the Hat” — greeted them at the door and pointed them toward the registration desk, where they received a bag full of goodies, including their own copies of “Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!”

Exhorted in their new book to “Think left and think right and think low and think high,” the children enjoyed Seuss’s zany rhymes, which have taught children reading skills for generations.

Faith Stamps, manager of the Institute’s Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Initiatives, worked with sponsors Target and BB&T to bring the afternoon’s festivities together.

Cleverly disguised as Thing 2 with electrifying blue hair and a bright red “body,” Stamps herded children toward their next activity as she talked about the plans for the day.

Stamps said Target donated the books for the children through a grant program they have to encourage reading.

“Target has three areas they do for the community, and reading is one of them,” Stamps said.

The children and their parents watched the movie “Horton Hears a Who” and then split up, with parents heading for a seminar on Internet safety while the children learned some math skills while enjoying “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

The Cat in the Hat made an appearance, much to the delight of Kamryn Moore, 6, who said that’s why she was attending the event.

“I want to see the Cat in the Hat!” Moore exclaimed as she walked away from the registration desk. Other children immediately buried their noses in their new books or waited expectantly for the movie to start.

The children also made their own “Dr. Seuss” books and were read a Seuss book.

Dr. Seuss — in real life Theodor Seuss Geisel — came to life in the 1950s, when Geisel’s publisher read a report that said children were not reading because books were boring.

Geisel was sent a list of 400 words his publisher felt were important, and after weeding the list down to 220 words, “The Cat in the Hat” was born.

Though Geisel died in 1991, his creative books are still favorites with children around the world. His March 2 birthday continues to be celebrated with readings of his work through programs such as the one held at the Institute on Saturday and many others, including the National Education Association’s “Read Across America” program.

For more information about the life of Geisel and about Dr. Seuss’s books, visit www.seussville.com.