If you have a child (or remember being a child) than you are very familiar with Dr. Seuss -- one of the most well-known and loved children's authors and illustrators!

This month, we'll be highlighting the works for Dr. Seuss and celebrating reading in a few fun ways.

Who was Dr. Seuss?

Here are some fun facts that kids will enjoy:

• His real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel but friends called him Ted.

• And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937) was Dr. Seuss' first published kids book (many people think it was The Cat in the Hat).

• Dr. Seuss and his wife never had children.

• Many of his books were written to teach children how to appreciate others, encourage kids to think & imagine and be aware of and change injustice.

You can find many more details about Dr. Seuss and his life at Seussville.

Dr. Seuss Books

During our February Kids' Online Book Club, we will highlight the works of Dr. Seuss.  What was your favorite Seuss book as a child?  Which do your kids enjoy?  It's hard to choose (and you're welcome to read more than one -- we will!). 

We'd love to have you join us!  For more information, visit the Virtual Book Club for Kids on Facebook. 

While we're not sure which book we will highlight for our book club on February 18^th (we are looking into some of the lesser known Seuss stories), I thought we'd share a few of our favorites:

You can also visit Seussville online to play games, explore the books and learn more about Dr. Seuss.

Read Across America Day

We will also celebrate Read Across America on March 1^st, along with many schools across the country.  This day is dedicated to motivating kids to read! 

Literacy skills are so important to our children's success in school and in life, so I encourage you to find ways to make reading part of your childs daily routine:

• Read the cereal box at breakfast
• Cuddle up for some read-aloud time after school or before bed.
• Attend storytimes at your local library or nature center.
• Encourage kids to read a variety of materials (books, magazines, comics, interactive games, etc).
• Create a reading nook in your home.
• Shedule a weekly library visit to explore new books and topics of interest to your child.

Here are a few more ideas for getting kids to read!

One Famous Cat

Everyone recognizes the cat who wears the red and white striped hat!  In addition to his most infamous role in creating chaos at Sally & Dick's, there are also some other fun ways to introduce your kids to The Cat:

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library

This is one of our favorite nonfiction series; these books introduce kids to real-life topics and facts.  Children love to learn about animals, nature, weather, holidays and so much more with The Cat, Thing 1 & Thing 2, Sally and Dick.

Parents and teachers love these books for a number of reasons:

• They are a great way to introduce kids to nonfiction topics
• Children can grow with the books - younger kids enjoy the illustrations while older kids appreciate learning some of the details about the topic
• The books do a wonderful job of introducing a variety of science topics to children in a very appealing way.

I would highly recommend adding a few to your home library!

PBS & The Cat

Another wonderful way to introduce your kids to The Cat is by watching the PBS series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That!  This learning series introduces many of the topics covered in the Learning Library book series.  Kids can learn about animals, nature, science and more in these half-hour episodes.

Check your local listings for when the show airs in your area.  And be sure to visit the PBS website for some fun onlines games, videos and activities that kids will love (and learn with too!)

More Great Seuss Resources

Looking for fun ways to connect Dr. Seuss books and activities?  Here are a few outstanding resources that can be used at home or in the classroom:

• 100+ Printable Games & Coloring sheets for kids from Seussville

• 200 Kids Crafts & Activities for so many Dr. Seuss books from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

• Fun lesson plan ideas from Apples 4 the Teacher

• Dr. Seuss party printables from Catch My Party

Remember to visit us next week to see some great activities & crafts for our Online Kids Book Club!

You might also like:

Encourage Creativity with Dr. Seuss Books & Games

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