Friday Faves #8: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

              Did you know that Seuss was Theodore Geisel's middle name?  That is why most of us know him as Dr. Seuss.  Yesterday was his birthday! But, all year long his books are great reads, especially to read aloud!  The rhyming and the meter are so helpful for language development in small children, not to mention imagination development.  So, of course, that brings us to today's Friday Fave! 

What is your Favorite Dr. Seuss Book?

You can click this image to find this whole set of Dr. Seuss Books!

     Fave #1: Our Special Guest!    Today, our special guest is Kerry Griffin Smith from GoBeyondAutism.com where she blogs with her family. Her choice is Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?  Kerry says, " We are so blessed to live on this beautiful earth. Dr Seuss adds his whimsical touch that encourages even the youngest thinkers to count their blessings."  I haven't read this one all of the way through, but it sort of reminds me of Could Be Worse by James Stevenson from the reviews I've read.  I want to read it to my grandchildren!  Thanks, Kerry, for this great suggestion! If anyone would like to get a copy, just click on the picture or the link above.

Fave #2:  LIndsey!   She chose another Seuss book that I am not that familiar with!  The man was prolific at writing these things!  Her choice is Daisy-Head Mayzie.  This book could almost be considered a predecessor to Imogene's Antlers  by David Small. Except, while Imogene woke up with antlers, Mayzie grew a daisy out of the top of her head one day in school.  There is an interesting backstory at the back of the book that shows that the illustrations have changed over the years in this book and why.  A sweet and charming story with a great message.  If you haven't read it to your children, it is one they will enjoy.

Fave #3:  Alicia!   The moment I came up with this question, I knew which book Alicia would choose.
When she was a little girl and I was expecting her younger sister, we would go to the Dr.'s office for my appointments, sometimes my husband would be there with us, and he would read Green Eggs and Ham to her while they waited.  She practically knew the entire thing by heart and she chose that book as her favorite Seuss book way back then.   At one time, we had chickens that laid green eggs!  (Eggs with green shells) I was teaching school at the time and on Dr. Seuss Day, I took sliced hard boiled ones to share with my students.  They loved it!  

Fave #4, "Left foot, left foot, left foot, right.  Feet in the morning, feet at night."  Madalynn chose The Foot Book!   I think she chose this one because it is a fun read-aloud that we read many times when she was  young.   The rhythm and rhyme catch the attention of little ones if you read it with exuberance!  

Fave #5 is mine! (Helen's)   Maybe it is because I love elephants, but I couldn't let a collection of Dr. Seuss books go by without a Horton book being listed!  I have chosen Horton Hears a Who.  There are several things that I love about this book.  First, Horton is caring and kind.  He knows what he hears, and even though he is persecuted for it, he doesn't deny what he knows to be true.  And, we learn from the Whos that every person is needed and has a part to play in our world.  "A person's a person, no matter how small."  This is definitely the best Horton book. In Horton Hatches an Egg  he continues to be a great role model, but the mother bird really bothers me.  Of course, We are also introduced to the Whos in Horton Hears a Who, which get us all set up for How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  (Do you like how I slipped another fave in there?)

Reasons to Read Dr. Seuss to Your Children

       There is a very good article on the  Children's Literacy Foundation's website that talks about the different styles that Dr. Seuss used when he wrote his books.  

• Most of his early reader books contain sight words that children can learn in an interesting way.
• He felt that phonics were very important, so that is why there is so much rhyming and playing with word families and silly, nonsense words.
• Dr. Seuss' books lend themselves to many extension activities that aid in literacy.  Here are some ideas on  Growing Book by Book.
• Some of his stories, like Horton, are more advanced stories with messages and imaginative experiences that children will love.
• Reading these books aloud with your children can be so much fun and you will create lasting memories.  (Note Alicia and Maddy!)  Not only that, you will help to instill in them a love of reading.

             Did we mention any of your favorites in this article?  If not, let us know what your favorite is in the comments below!  Even though Theodore Seuss Geisel's birthday was yesterday, don't let that stop you from reading his books with your kids anytime and maybe doing some extension activities with them. Have fun reading!  

Want to read other Friday Fave articles?  Click here!

Shop this post: