Read Across America

Come along as we honor the outlandish legacy of beloved children’s author Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, who would’ve turned 116 years young on this day.

Some of the written word’s true blue originals, Seuss’ books combine a free-spirited rhyming style with a welcoming warm sense of individualism in his lifelong effort to cultivate generations of outside-the-box readers. To celebrate our recent One Fish, Two Fish-inspired Dr. Seuss collaboration with artist B. Thom Stevenson, the Stance team visited Hansen Elementary School in Anaheim, California to read a few Geisel classics to their 2nd-grade class. And for being such great listeners, these Huskies got hooked up with a few pairs of their ownSeuss x Stance socks to further inspire. We also got the chance to sit down with Hansen’s own Mrs. Colby, Mrs. Stelmar and Principal Fischer to discuss the impact and importance of this celebrated author’s most influential work.

They enjoy the rhyming. They enjoy the silly parts. It makes them giggle and laugh and use their imagination and takes them to a different place of discovery.

What do you love about Read Across America?

Principle Fischer: I think it instills the love for reading and students get excited about going to school. I love that Dr. Seuss has a gamut of books for all levels. You have your beginning readers, you have your students that are just coming to the country that have their rhyming words, but it’s also for adults too. I also think these books give you a lesson. From “The Lorax”learning about the environment, or “The Grinch”and teaching the true meaning of Christmas, or “Horton Hears a Who”and being the smallest person and having the biggest voice. So yeah, I think that Read Across America gets kids excited and instills the love for reading.


How does your school celebrate?

Principle Fischer: The teachers brainstorm different ways to promote it for the week. We try to make it fun, because school tends to be rigorous for the kids, so they have something to look forward to. We have ‘wear your shades to school and be a cool’, we also have ‘mismatch sock day’, or wear a cool shirt with appropriate words. Different ways to get the kids excited to come to school and learn about Dr. Seuss. It also brings in the community too. Having different people come in such as Stance to read to students and bring in people outside the school to show the students that reading is important.

What do you find your students enjoy about Dr. Seuss stories?

Mrs. Colby: They enjoy the rhyming. They enjoy the silly parts. It makes them giggle and laugh and use their imagination and take them to a different place of discovery. As a teacher we always do problem and solution and how to solve problems in situations you might get into.


What are some of the themes and messages from Dr. Seuss to relate to your students?

Mrs. Colby: The students really enjoy being in the problem and figuring out the solution. Some of the themes in “Oh the Places You’ll Go” and the choices and specifically good choices you will make to get through the problems.


What is your personal favorite Dr. Seuss book and why?

Mrs. Stelmar: My favorite Dr. Seuss book is “Oh the Places You’ll Go”, I love it so much it’s universal across all ages. The little ones love it cause of the colorful characters and the rhyming, and the older kids gravitate to it because as you get older it’s the idea of going on an adventure, taking chances, and not being afraid. He talks about in the book the waiting place and waiting for things to happen. Dr. Seuss will tell them not to wait to take chances, there’s a journey, you can go left, you can go right, and the choice is up to you. In the end I love his message, “Kids you can move mountains”, it’s so inspirational.