Christmas and Dr. Seuss

A friend has a fun little poem her family uses when buying their children's Christmas presents.

She shared it with me years ago and we've used it ever since.

Something you want.

Something you need.

Something to wear.

Something to read.

Perfect right!

So I've been researching books at Amazon.com for ideas and it's reminded me how much I love reading and how much I owe to.....

Dr. Seuss
The author to beat all authors.
When I was 4 or 5 my dad bought me this book.
I loved it like no other.
I had everyone........everyone read it to me.

Not in Latin.....(sigh)....but I know I would have loved it in any language.
This was also the first book I ever read by myself.
I'm sure it was because I already had it memorized.
I heard my dad telling my kids the other day, he learned to read by reading the funnies in the newspaper. 

And that got me to thinking about good old Dr. Seuss. I figure I owe a lot to him.

Because he introduced me to a fascinating world of funny colored food and foxes in boxes I've also discovered green rolling hills in the English countryside, heroes and heroines who are brave and sometimes tragic, and how exhilarating it can be to ride a wild horse in the hills of Australia.

Ah, the adventures I've been on through reading.
It's funny too, how certain books, like certain smells or songs, can bring back vivid memories and sometimes it's fun to softly follow those memories where ever they may lead.

The Foot Book
"Left foot, left foot, right foot, right..... Feet in the morning and feet at night..."
Is just one such book.
When our oldest was born we received about 3 copies of this book free in the mail.
We being new parents and not having built up our library of children's literature...yet.. read said book to our young offspring.
She - LOVED - IT!
10 - 25 - 40 times a day we'd read this book to her.
She had it memorized before she could speak (which she started doing around 10 months, I thought that was normal.)By 11 or 12 months she could quote the whole book.
Needless to say we started hiding it, but she'd always find it and ask us to read it again.
Now she's a literature lunatic ☺

My husband gave me 
Oh the Places You'll Go
our first Christmas together (married) and this started a great tradition of him giving me a children's picture book every year. I LOVE that tradition.
I had no idea how true this book would be to our life together though.

Today I'm celebrating my love for literature.
I probably should have saved this post until Dr. Seuss' birthday but I have no idea when that is, maybe February I don't know.

My point is I'm glad my parents found something that inspired me to keep reading and discovering the treasures within printed words.

If kids can find something that captures their imagination they'll keep reading.
Even if it's not GREAT LITERATURE as long as they're reading they can't lose.
And let your kids see and hear you reading......they'll be intrigued and want to try it out. Truthfully what child doesn't think the sun, moon and stars revolves around their parents?

I wish I could say all of my reading has made me a great speller and writer, sadly no such luck. But, I'd like to think I'm better than I would have been if I didn't love to read.
Now that would be scary.
And, lucky for me, blogger (at least) has spell check.
Now,
Go,
Find a child
and
Read to him/her!
GO!
YOU CAN DO IT ON A TRAIN, YOU CAN DO IT IN THE RAIN.
YOU CAN DO IT HERE AND THERE, YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE!!!!