When you think of great American authors, who comes to mind? Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, Willa Cather? All great writers, no doubt, but for brilliant use of words, long-lasting influence, and sheer number of books sold, no one can hold a candle to Dr. Seuss.
If you are under the age of 75, you grew up reading And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. If you are under 50, you learned to read with The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. No author in America is more widely read than Dr. Seuss. Very few children’s books from the 1930’s, ‘40’s, and ‘50’s are still on library bookshelves, but every library has a shelf-full of Dr. Seuss’s books, and always will.
Here’s a bit of little known advice from Dr. Seuss:
My Uncle Terwilliger on the Art of Eating Popovers
My uncle ordered popovers from the restaurant’s bill of fare.
And, when they were served, he regarded them with a penetrating stare….
Then he spoke great words of wisdom as he sat there on that chair:
‘To eat these things’, said my uncle, ‘you must exercise great care.
You may swallow down what’s solid….
But…you must spit out the air!’
And as you partake of the world’s bill of fare,
that’s darned good advice to follow.
Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.
And be careful what you swallow.”
Today is the 107th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, born on March 2, 1904. Today is also celebrated as Read Across America Day, in honor of the doctor. He died on September 24, 1991, but his books and his memory live on. So here’s to you, Dr. Seuss:
It’s your Day of all Days! It’s the Best of the Best!
So don’t waste a minute! Hop to it! Get dressed!
Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
And though he is gone, there is no one alive like Dr. Seuss. Happy Birthday to you!