Feature Story

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.” (Seuss, 1957) Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Celebration is done. But amusement abounds if you can find fun. It’s spring but there’s snow. Cabin fever’s set in. But there’s much to do indoors for parents and kids. Take a trip to www.seussville.com to melt winter blues. Try it out. Others have and they liked it too.

The vibrant website is a portal to Dr. Seuss’s vivid imagination. The bright colors, animation and whimsical melody being played give a carnival feel. There is a “playground” full of free online games and print-and-plays based on popular Dr. Seuss books, including a recipe for Green Eggs and Ham. Parents and kids alike can enjoy the detailed biography of the evolution of Theodor Seuss Geisel, illustrator, environmental activist and son of a baker, into an award winning children’s author. The Events section of the site offers a way to stay on top of events inspired by Dr. Seuss. The next scheduled event is an Earth Day Celebration on April 22nd inspired by his environmentally conscious book The Lorax. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (Seuss, 1971) And last but not least, there’s an online catalog to shop for merchandise featuring The Cat and the Hat and friends.

Younger children may enjoy a visit to www.bookpals.net/storyline. This site is sponsored by the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) Foundation and streams video of celebrities from film and television reading books to promote literacy. A few big names involved with the program include Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie and SAG president), Elijah Woods (Lord of the Rings), Camryn Manheim (The Practice), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings and Goonies) and former vice president Al Gore. Children can read along with the captions at the bottom or simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Need more ideas? The National Education Association (NEA) at www.nea.org is another resource for parents, and educators, to find activities and monthly event calendars marked with national literacy events.

Days to observe in April include:

· April 2nd- International Children’s book day
· April 12th- National Drop Everything and Read day
· April 12th-18th- National Library week
· April 30th- El Día de los Níños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Book day)

Winter is stubborn. It will not go. At first spring brought rain and then again snow. But remember the fun found in the pages of books. Or, if you’re online, give these websites a look. Winter’s almost gone. Winter’s almost done. Next year will bring another one. “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.” (Seuss, 1960)