By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – In recognition of the birthday of children’s author Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, children throughout the River Parishes participated in Read Across America Day Wednesday.

Dr. Seuss has long inspired the imagination of children of all ages with his tales of fantastic worlds and strange creatures, but the real magic of his work lies in the strong moral undertones of his writings. Stories such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “Horton Hears a Who!” convey a message of acceptance and compassion to readers who may be too young to understand what they are learning but learn it nonetheless.

The cat in the Hat is perhaps Dr. Seuss’ most well known character, and he played a major role in the day’s activities in many local schools. Just about everywhere on Wednesday, students donned cardboard versions of the iconic red and white striped hat. At Riverside Academy in Reserve, Controller Doreen Lang dressed as the mischievous feline and handed out pencils to the younger students and special lighted hand-shaped pointers to their teachers.

Another popular activity for the students was the preparation and eating of green eggs and ham, a reference to another of Dr. Seuss’ more popular books. Also, many schools had special guest readers ranging from upperclassmen to local officials who read to the youngsters.

Regardless of the particular activity undertaken by the students, the message of the day remained constant. The day instilled in the students the importance and fun of reading.

Read Across America Day was first introduced in 1998 and has grown every year since its inception. It is celebrated on March 2.