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Jefferson Elementary celebrates a week of whimsical Dr. Seuss
0307JeffSuess
Jefferson Elementary School media specialist Karen Porter works in the library dressed as the Cat in the Hat in honor of Dr. Seuss week. - photo by BRANDEE A. THOMAS

If you gave a 5-year-old a toy that was created more than 40 years ago, chances are they wouldn’t find it terribly entertaining.

But if you gave that same child a book from that same time period written by Dr. Seuss, nine times out of 10 they’ll enjoy it today as much as their grandparents did when it was first published in the late 1960s.

“Dr. Seuss’ books are full of rhyming words and the kids still really enjoy that,” said Brandi Pieplow, a first-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School.

“The stories are silly, but they still send a message, so that’s always nice.”

As a way of honoring the 105th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2, Jefferson Elementary School and many other local schools honored the author’s life by celebrating Dr. Seuss Week.

At JES, each day had a different theme to correspond with a different Dr. Seuss book. Tuesday, students and staff were encouraged to wear something from a place they’d been to or would like to go to in honor of Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”

The school also had days to celebrate some of Seuss’ lesser known stories such as “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins” and “My Many Colored Day.”

The school wrapped up the celebration on Friday with Dress Like the Cat in the Hat Day.

Walking through the halls of the school you could see everyone from the youngest students to the media specialist dressed like a character from “The Cat in the Hat.”

There were kids in tall striped hats, and teachers dressed like this and that.

There were a few Thing 1s and Thing 2s, and even a red bow tie or three; really it was quite a sight to see.

There were Dr. Seuss books and characters from here to there; honestly there was Dr. Seuss everywhere.

Dr. Seuss was in the lunchroom eating peanut butter and jelly, and even using a computer in the library.

And even though “The Cat in the Hat” was the favorite for some, others like Jett McEver liked a different one.

“My favorite Dr. Seuss book is ‘Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now,’” said McEver, a JES kindergartner. “Everybody wants him to leave, but he won’t go.”

Although children of all ages enjoy the exploits of the cat in the hat and his tall red and white striped hats, most kids understand that the book is just for fun.

“I like ‘The Cat in The Hat,’” said Ashley Brehm, a JES first-grader. “But if I (caused trouble) like Thing 1 and Thing 2, I would get a spanking.”