March 2: Dr. Sues' Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dr. Sues!! I am a huge Doctor Sues fan and I have been since I was little. I remember learning to read with books like "Hop on Pop" "Horton Hears a Who" "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Higgins" and "Green Eggs and Ham." These books are fun to read, easy to memorize and what I think makes them the best is that they still reach adults almost as much as children. When I was little I just liked the stories, but as I grew older I started to be able to read behind the story. For example, Horton Hears a Who was just a fun story of a brave elephant, but as you get older you start to consider more the implications of a person being a person even if you can't hear it or see it or it's so very small.

But today I learned things about Sues I've never learned before. Here are five facts I didn't know about Dr. Sues

. Dr. Sues' real name is Theodor Geisel. He looks like this:

2. Many Doctor Sues books are really political allegories

3. Dr Sues got his name when he was suspended (for drinking during the prohibition) from writing in a newspaper so he changed his name so that he could still sell articles and such.

4. Dr. Sues never had any kids and his wife said that he wasn't very comfortable around them.

5. Dr. Sues wrote in opposition to the "Dick and Jane" books which were the standard readers for children learning to read. He said they were dry, boring, and too easy for children. He wanted books that were stimulating, interesting, and challenged children.

Here are some of my favorite Dr. Sues Quotes:

*Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

*Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

*Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

*The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

*I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

I've had some person experiences with Dr. Sues that have helped me foster a love for them. One, I grew up reading them and then analyzed them as a younger teenage. Also, I love short witty quotes so I love looking up Dr. Sues quotes. But, I think what really changed what I thought about Dr. Sues was when I was in the play Dr. Sues the Sussical. I played Gertrude McFuzz from the story The One Feathered Tale of Gertrude McFuzz.

I was reading a joural article that I wrote shortly after the play called "What I learned from Gertrude McFuzz" I went ahead and copy and pasted a little bit of the entry. I had messed up my part and it really bothered me. I guess, according to the article, I was having a hard time shaking the feeling. I then realized that I was doing exactly what my character was doing. I wanted so bad to be noticed that I was messing everything up! I wasn't even doing what was right anymore.

"That's when I realized that I was making the same mistake that Gertrude made. People weren't going to notice me for my voice or acting, then were going to enjoy the play when everyone tried their best. Not perfect, the best that I had. That's when I enjoy what I"m doing and people enjoy the play."

I still struggle with wanting people to notice and be happy with me. I'm such a people-pleaser that often I care more about what people think then what God thinks of my life. It's great to think that three years later I'm still struggle with the same people-pleasing issues. :P Anyway, those are some of the reasons that I love Dr. Suess. I encourage you to let your kids read Dr. Sues and maybe today revisit your childhood and read some of his great books. Happy birthday Dr. Sues!

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Heather