Read Across America: Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday at Mentor Public Library

Celebrate a Seuss-pendous birthday at Mentor Public Library.

There’s never a bad time to celebrate Dr. Seuss; but there is a good time, a wonderful time, a Seuss-pendous time to celebrate him.

On Wednesday, March 2, Mentor Public Library will celebrate the good doctor's birthday as part of Read Across America.

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at our Main Branch, kids can make crafts and play games based on their favorite Seuss characters. They can make wockets for their pockets, pin the ham on the plate, and more.

Of course, there will also be Dr. Seuss books available that you can read with your child.

There will even be birthday cake while it lasts.

The party is free and open to all kids. There's no need to register either. Just stop by and join the fun!

The joy of Seuss and of reading to children

When I talked with Amy Popik from The News-Herald about Read Across America, we mentioned who read Dr. Seuss to us when we were kids. For me, it was my grandma; for her, her mom.

Now, the actual who doesn't matter so much. It can be an older sibling, parent, cousin, teacher, neighbor, whomever. What matters is that somebody read to us.

And that sort of connection is generational. I share the joy of reading with my child in part because someone shared it with me. And if you hang around long enough at the library, you'll see parents that used to be story-time children reading to their own kids.

And while we love to celebrate Seuss, we don't just celebrate his birthday because of his characters, illustrations, rhymes or even the morals that stay true no matter how old you get. (A person is still a person, no matter how small.) We celebrate Seuss because he shared the joy of reading with so many, and he'll continue to do so for generations to come.

Terri, one of our MPL Board members, reads to the children during a special Seuss story time at our Headlands Branch.

So we hope you joined us for Dr. Seuss's birthday on Monday. We hope you made a candy Cat-in-the-Hat at our Lake Branch, played Seuss-pendous birthday games at our Headlands Branch, or learned the "Green Eggs & Ham" song from Seussical at our Main Branch.

But if you couldn't join us Monday, there's an easy way to make up for it.

Read. Read to someone you love.

If you're looking for suggestions, I like The Lorax and Yertle the Turtle, but it doesn't need to be my favorites. It doesn't even have to be Dr. Seuss.

Just read. It's a beautiful gift to give to anyone. And when the opportunity comes, I know whomever you read to will pass that gift along.

Linsay makes her own Cat-in-the-Hat hat at Mentor Library.

For more photos from our Dr. Seuss birthday party, check out Mentor Library's Facebook page.

Celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday at Mentor Library

Someone is celebrating a Seuss-pendous birthday soon, and Mentor Public Library is ready to party.

On Monday, March 2, all three branches of Mentor Library will commemorate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with story times, crafts, special programs and, of course, cake.

The party will go all day at the library’s Main Branch. Kids can play a Fox in Socks-themed matching game, make a photographic birthday card for Seuss, and make a hot air balloon (just like in Oh, the Places You’ll Go.)

And there will be cake while it lasts.

Meanwhile, at the Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch, the library will host a special story time for children four years and older at 4 p.m. Kids will listen to classic Seuss stories and make a Fox in Socks bag puppet.

Then, the Mentor Headlands Library Branch will have a birthday party for the good doctor at 6:30 p.m. There will be games, cake and Seuss books.

Later in the day, kids can stage their own version of the Seuss classic Green Eggs & Ham. David Malinowski of the Fine Arts Association will teach kids—ages three to seven—basic theater techniques with the Page to Stage program at 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Library’s Main Branch.

Mentor Library isn’t alone in celebrating Seuss. Schools and libraries across the country remember the man and his stories as part of the annual event, Read Across America. The National Education Association started it in 1998 to honor Seuss and revel in the joy of reading.

Each year, Read Across America is scheduled to coincide with Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2.

For more information on Mentor Public Library’s many Seuss-themed events, you can visit our event calendar.

A Seuss-Tastic Birthday Celebration at Mentor Library

The Mentor Public Library held a birthday party for Dr. Seuss at all three of its branches Monday.

And I could tell you all about the fun we had, or I could just show the photos.

Photos, you say?

Things 1 and 2, also known as Avery and Madison, go fishing for Red and Blue Fish.

Michele helps Sarah make a speck where her Whos can live.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Horton Hears a Who, the kids all shared good deeds they had done.

Jordan makes a Horton mask, compete with a noisemaker for a trunk.

Sara (mom) and Olivia (daughter) listen to a special Seuss-themed story time at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

For more photos from our Seuss-pendous birthday party, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.

Celebrating a Seuss-pendous Birthday

 There’s never a bad time to celebrate Dr. Seuss; but there is a good time, a wonderful time, a Seuss-pendous time to celebrate him.

And that time is Monday, March 3 and the place will be all three of Mentor Public Library’s branches. The library is commemorating Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America with a bevy of Seuss-themed events.

The party will go all day at the library’s Main Branch. Kids can make their own Horton puppet and Whoville specks. They can play a game, trying to catch a Red Fish or Blue Fish (maybe even two fish.) Kids can also get a special Horton Hears a Who!booklet with fun games, puzzles and pictures to color at the Children’s Services desk.

There will even be a birthday cake while it lasts.

Meanwhile, at the Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch, the library will host a special story time from 4 to 5 p.m. for children three years and older. Kids will listen to classic Seuss stories and make their own version of the hat made famous by The Cat in the hat.

The Mentor Headlands Library Branch will also have a Seuss story time from 3:45 to 4:30 on Monday, March 3. Kids can make a craft and enjoy some bread and jam for Sam I Am.

Click here for more photos from last year’s Seuss-pendous birthday party at Mentor Public Library.