The legend of Dr. Theodore Geisle Seuss is familiar to most people. Everyone has come across The Cat in the Hat or The Grinch at least once in their lives. Since 1937, his riveting tales of fantasy and wonder have inspired hope to children and adults all over the world. Multiple accolades have been awarded to his wonderful story telling, artistic illustrations, and his exceptionally meritorious perseverance. At Liberty Hall Museum on Saturday, February 28, 2015, his 111 birthday was celebrated in a way that would make the Dr. himself proud at the Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Breakfast .
The event began with food, and lots of it. Dr. Seuss themed buffet style, with dishes labeled appropriately to cater to the ceremony. Green eggs and ham and one fish, two fish, French toast are just a few examples of the delicious food the occasion had to offer.
Children loved the decorative Seuss-styled art as well as the characters they recognized from so many of his beloved books. To add to the ambiance of the event, the music of Dr. Seuss’s Seussical could be heard around the entire room. Briana Helm, a visitor whom was attending with her young niece, stated, “The event is lovely, and it’s a great Saturday morning out as well [as] something fun for the kids to come together with activities and social interactions.”
After breakfast, the activities began. The children were ecstatic when The Cat in the Hat appeared in full costume to meet and take pictures. The cat was accompanied by his appropriate sidekicks, Thing One and Thing Two. The three of them made sure to greet each child and their accompanying adult. During the cat’s greetings the children around the room could be seen smiling from ear to ear and waiting with anticipation for their time to meet the character they all knew so well from the story. After the greetings, everyone gathered around the center of the room for professional photographs, in which the event hosted and printed for the parents.
After the photographs were taken, the games begun. The Cat in the Hat and his companions organized games such as pin the tail on the cat. In addition to games, an arts and crafts table was setup where the children could make a whisker and nose set out of popsicle sticks, felt, and a red cotton ball.
Correspondingly on the crafts table were assortments of coloring books, crayons, drawings, mazes, and many other options to get the children involved. John Lestrange, the liberty hall museum educator, spoke on behalf of why he feels this particular event is so important. He specified, “Dr. Seuss has the ability to really get into a world of fantasy."
As the festivities started to wind down, the children really came out of their shells, and could be seen running around the room having the time of their lives. The morning of Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Breakfast attempted to remind children and adults alike of the creative mind that instilled an imagination in several minds and the books that helped to shape children’s literature. “With [the] ability [to inspire], he has entertained/inspired many and will continue to do so for numerous years to come,” Lestrange stated. The Liberty Hall Museum hosts the event annually to celebrate the birth and legend that is Dr. Seuss.
More information can be found about upcoming events at Liberty Hall Museum’s website: http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/index.html.
