Huntington Beach leaders share love of reading with elementary students to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday
Educators and curious students at Peterson Elementary School celebrated the late Dr. Seuss’ birthday Thursday by inviting local leaders and members of the Huntington Beach community to share some of their favorite stories.
Children hung on every word from childhood favorites like “Green Eggs and Ham” and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” recited by Mayor Tony Strickland, former Mayor Jill Hardy, educators, police, firefighters and a long list of guest readers representing local businesses. After each story, kids were given a chance to ask questions about their visitors’ jobs and whatever else they might have been wondering at the moment.
“Some of [the questions] are silly like, ‘Do you have a pet?’ or ‘What kind of car do you drive?’” Hardy said. “But most of them are pretty detailed questions asking about the time I was mayor and how that was, what I liked and what I didn’t like. And a lot of questions about me teaching high school and what high school’s like.”
Hardy read “The Butter Battle Book,” a tale Seuss wrote as a not-so-subtle parable for children about the nuclear arms race. It and many of the other short stories read on Thursday serve as an introduction for many kids to concepts like fairness, compassion and being a good neighbor, Hardy said.
City Atty. Michael Gates told students about how key reading and writing have been to his success as a lawyer. He admitted that he wasn’t always a bookworm when he was younger and said if he hadn’t found a way to “push through that,” he may not have gotten as far in life as he has.
Huntington Beach City School District Supt. Leisa Winston echoed the importance of literacy in enriching childrens’ lives. She credited Seuss for penning stories that have inspired young people for generations.
The educator said she saw “love in their eyes for the books we were reading.”
“Many of them have even read the books before and wanted to hear them,” Winston said. “Again, you would think 45 minutes is a long time for kids to sit and be read to, but they were fully engaged the whole time. Part of that is the stories that they love but also being able to ask our community members questions about their jobs.”
Several children, teachers and guests sported red-and-white striped headgear in honor of the beloved author of “The Cat in the Hat.” Many with burning questions about city government, police procedure and favorite colors waved their hands frantically in the air as guests did their best to sate their curiosity.
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