Green Eggs Are Pretty Good

Putting words together in such a way as to grab the attention of children from one generation to the next is not an easy fete. Theodor Geisel took this one step further-using words that don't really exist except in his imagination. So he not only had to grab the little one's attention, he had to sell his made-up-words as words-or did he? Kids don't have a problem with funny, tongue-twisting made-up words for their imaginations are ripe for exploring storylines that are utterly silly; utterly pure fun. That's why Mr. Geisel-better known as the beloved Dr. Seuss-remains a staple in libraries, schools, homes, and hearts of children and those who once were children. March is the birth month of Horton the Elephant and that Cat in the Hat's creator. Celebrate this master of kids books-try some green eggs and ham. They're actually pretty good-in a house or with a mouse! I am Sam-I am -I am!

Books For Kids!

Before bedtime when my kids were little, I'd let each of them pick out two books. Then we'd sit on the sofa while I read them their selections. Usually they'd hand me the same worn-torn books with the same looks of anticipation. Some evenings I was so tired I'd try skipping a word or two-maybe even a whole sentence. If I was really tired I'd try skipping an entire page but it never worked. They knew every single word; knew every single pause. They'd laugh at the same funny thing; look scared when the same monster crept off the same page. They'd ask the same questions and after the last word was read they had that same look of satisfaction as the night before and the night before that.

I would suspect they would have gotten to bed a little earlier most of those nights if we hadn't had so much fun looking for Richard Scarry's Lowly Worm or again wait to find that favorite monster at the end of a favorite monster book or read about brave Pierre Bear-the bravest hunter of all the north or go under the fence into the wide, wide world with the roly-poly puppy or visit the city mouse with the country mouse or twist our tongues with that cat in the hat or find out who slept in baby bear's bed or escape the wolf with those three little pigs-to name a few beloved stories!

Favorite books are best friends no matter how old we get. They wrap us up and make us feel happy or sad; scared or brave or silly or hopeful or a bit of everything. They entertain. Just like the lovable roly-poly puppy getting under that fence, they expand our horizons in a big world meant to be discovered. Books are for kids-of all ages!