"The Cat in the Hat" has drawn young kids into reading for the last 60 years. On Tuesday, kids at Auxvasse Elementary spent an evening exploring the world of Dr. Seuss at a Missouri National Education Association-hosted event.
"I like the original (Cat in the Hat)," said third-grader Dane Kemp as he worked on a crossword puzzle. "I like when he comes in and cleans everything up at the end."
"I like the original, too," added his friend Hunter Moore, seated nearby. "But my favorite part is when he destroys everything."
Kids and parents crafted striped paper hats, took pictures with the Cat himself, entered a raffle to win books and enjoyed a variety of other activities. In a quiet corner, a teacher read aloud to a few attentive young ones. There were plenty of relatives on hand as well, from parents to uncles to grandparents.
"The purpose is to get family and community into the building and show a love of reading to the kids," first-grade teacher Bekah Masthay said.
MNEA Vice President Brent Fullington surveyed the scene. The organization's mission is to promote quality public education for kids, and this event is part of its annual Read Across America tour to promote literacy.
"This is actually my third time at this event in Auxvasse," Fullington said. "It relays the message of love of reading."
He feels Dr. Seuss, the pen name of Theodore Geisel, is a good introduction to reading for kids and is an extra-appropriate choice because his birthday falls on March 2.
"He was one of the most noted children's authors of his time," Fullington added.
Masthay is also a Seuss fan.
"He's got a great imagination, and he's very relatable to the kids," she said. "He can build entire worlds out of very few words."
He's even popular among parents.
"He never gets old," Ashleena Smith said. "I still love him."
For parents hoping to keep kids reading at home, Masthay had some advice.
"Number one, find something the kids are interested in and bring home books about it," she said.
"Number two, set a specific time for reading, like reading 15 minutes every night.
"It becomes something to look forward to."