Library storytime celebrates Dr. Seuss
MONTE TURNER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO
"Horton Hears A Who" is read by Linda Zimmer last Thursday at the Mineral County Library in part of the birthday celebration of Dr. Suess. She admitted that her reading glasses inside the mask were a bit snug once she finished. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
Dr. Suess wrote over 60 books enjoyed by children all over the world and the Mineral County Library in Superior hosted a birthday celebration in his honor last Thursday. Ron Anderson was one of the readers who read one of Dr. Seuss’s books before the refreshments were served. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
His first book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," was rejected 27 times before it was finally published by Vanguard Press in 1937. From there, he went onto writing over 60 children’s books with many that were made into movies.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, was born March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts and passed away in 1991. But his legacy lives with schools and libraries around the world celebrating his birthday, just as the Mineral County Library did last Thursday.
“We’ve had Dr. Suess’s Birthday every year, up until Covid, so it’s been 2 years and it’s good to have another sign of normalcy with the people here today,” smiled Guna Chaberek, director of the Mineral County Library. Several preschool children had come with moms and grandparents to hear some of the silly classic books read to them that have been favorites since 1937.
Diane Magone, who is a member of the Mineral County Library Board of Directors, was the first to read to the audience. "Hop on Pop" (1963) which started the squirming and giggles.
Commissioner Dawn Terrell had them join her on the floor for "Green Eggs and Ham" (1960) and then suggested that on Dr. Seuss’s 120th birthday next year, serving those entrées might be fun.
Ron Anderson, who is a jack of all trades with music and singing and hiking read "If I Ran a Zoo" (1950) and stated quietly afterward that he had forgotten how long that story was.
The birthday story time concluded with Linda Zimmer who taught the 2nd grade for many years. She donned a costume that matched her book, "Horton Gives A Who" (1954) and had requested to be last knowing that getting this age of children to calm down after an elephant reads to them is almost impossible.
Zimmer reads to the Long Term Care patients in Mineral Community Hospital and had rehearsed with them earlier that day to see if her mask would allow her to see well enough to read. Refreshments were then enjoyed by all as memories of favorite Dr. Suess books were shared by the adults and the younger audience played with toys and chatted with each other.
Chaberek shared that the birthday for Dr. Suess is the only one they celebrate, but the library is open to suggestions. Bringing in local authors to meet and greet the residents is a big part of their outreach program but again, ideas and volunteers are always welcomed.
