Oh, The Places We'll Go!

Today, Poetry on Parade joins with thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers across the country, participating in Read Across America Day and celebrating the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel.  Geisel, born in 1904 and better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, was an American writer and illustrator who wrote over forty famously fun children's books. Read Across America Day celebrates good books, the joy of reading, and the importance of sharing those good books by reading together.  Today's selections are filled with Seussical rhythm, word play, and rhyme:

The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go.

-- from I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! (1978)

In the places I go there are things that I see
That I never could spell if I stopped with the Z.
I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends.
My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!

-- from On Beyond Zebra (1955)

 

"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues...

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not.

-- from The Lorax (1971)

From there to here,
from here to there,
funny things are everywhere.

-- from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish  (1960)

I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them Sam I Am.

-- from Green Eggs and Ham (1960)

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

-- from Oh, The Places You'll Go! (1990)

No matter our age, the place, the time, Dr. Seuss reminds us of the tremendous power of reading and rhythm and rhyme.  His words encourage us to open our eyes, our minds, our hearts, to make a positive difference, to make our world a better place... and to share a little laughter and to have a lot of fun along the way.  Happy Reading, Lafayette School!