One Fish, Two Fish...

Normally this blog isn't the most kid-friendly place on the Interwebs. But today is a VERY special day, so I thought I'd make an exception.

"Oh the places you'll go..."

Today is the 107th birthday of the man who wrote such immortal lines as, "I do not like them Sam-I-Am, I do not like green eggs and ham" and "I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant's faithful one hundred percent." That's right, today marks the birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to millions of children (young and old) as Dr. Seuss.

I can't even begin to count the number of times I read books by Dr. Seuss growing up. Heck, if I'm at a friend's house and they have a kid, I'm still likely to pick up a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham" or "Horton Hears a Who" and read it. Which usually gets me in trouble with said kid - they're pretty protective of their Seuss!

Me getting a little exercise with Eric.

And who could ever forget all the wonderful animated versions of the works of Dr. Seuss? Whether it's annual traditions like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas;" the character who helped teach millions of children how to read, "The Cat in The Hat;" or even the slightly more grownup classic Warner Brothers cartoon, "Horton Hatches the Egg," there's no doubt the Doctor has had a huge impact on our culture.

My personal favorite Dr. Seuss creation is the 1953 musical "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T." The movie, which stars the inimitable Hans Conried as evil piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker, bears the twin distinctions of being the only feature film ever written by Dr. Seuss (story, screenplay and lyrics) and is one of the last uses of the 1.37:1 Three-Strip Technicolor process (which really adds punch to the fantastically garish Seussian color scheme). Plus, it's a freakin' trip - a piano that requires 500 players, a dungeon full of musicians, a normal mom hypnotized and turned into a glamorous assistant, Hans Conried in costumes that would put Lady Gaga to shame, a noise-sucking machine and a plumber who helps save the day! Beat that Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh! Never seen it? Go out immediately and find a copy. It's a staple in our house when we're in the mood for something - as the signs hanging over exits in London read - "Way Out."

Willy WHO?

 If haven't introduced your kids to Dr. Seuss - or even if you have - today is the perfect day to do a little bit of bonding. I guarantee you'll both discover something you can treasure together forever. My good friend Genevieve Hinson (who's a mother of three herself) compiled a list of excellent ways for you to spend some time with the good Doctor and has kindly shared them over at MotherOfConfusion.com.

5 Ways To Celebrate Reading And Dr. Seuss' 107th Birthday

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Dr. Seuss


Now get out of here and go read a book!


Jim