Storied Occasion Idaho Joins Read Across America Program, Observes Birthday Of Dr. Seuss

Two girls giggled Monday as state Sen. Gordon Crow declared that the sky was falling.

The Hayden Republican shrieked Chicken Little’s famous phrase and patted the girls on the head. So went the Dr. Seuss birthday bash that brought lawmakers to the Capitol’s rotunda to read “Henny Penny,” “The Princess and the Pea” and of course “The Cat in the Hat” to Boise area schoolchildren.

Communities nationwide cracked open books for the Read Across America program and to honor the anniversary of the birth of the late Dr. Seuss, the legendary children’s book author who would have been 94.

“If you can’t read, you can’t do anything,” said Becky Gibson, a reading specialist from Pierce Park Elementary School. “Reading really is the key of success to life.”

The Idaho Education Association donated books, lawmakers donated time and the first- and second-graders donated smiles and laughs, which created a gentle roar inside the Statehouse.

Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, sprawled on the marble floor while sharing the story of “Penguin Pete’s New Friends” with Nicholas, Brittney and Jeri.

“I want to read,” 7-year-old Jeri Sherrill demanded, grabbing the book from Keough.

The session reminded Keough of reading to her two boys, Bryan, 8, and Daniel, 5.

“I’ve grown quite fond of ‘Hank the Cow Dog,”’ she said. “Hank’s got a special sense of humor.”

“I just love children and reading is so important,” Keough added, whipping out her wallet and displaying a picture of her sons.

A red and white “Cat in the Hat” cap crowned Sen. Evan Frasure, R-Pocatello, who couldn’t contain his excitement.

“It really shows my true side,” Frasure said with a toothy grin. “I’m wearing it to the Transportation Committee.”

And Frasure wasn’t the only kid smiling.

First-graders Tonya Zubizareta and Kacy Elguezabal danced excitedly around Crow as he autographed their books.

“If you don’t know how to read, you could never be a lawmaker,” Zubizareta said, telling her mom that she wanted to run for office.

“She’s always said before that she’s wanted to be a teacher or librarian,” Diana Zubizareta said, acting surprised by Tonya’s new career path.

Elguezabal was torn between a librarian’s life or living like Marge Simpson from the TV cartoon the Simpsons.

“She doesn’t have to work,” Elguezabal said about the cartoon character. “She just reads a lot. I also want to be a librarian and come home to a dirty house and clean it.”

Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, died in September 1991 at age 87, but his numerous children’s books remain favorites.

Geisel wrote “The Cat in the Hat” in 1957 after Life magazine reported on illiteracy among schoolchildren and that kids were having trouble reading because their books were boring.

“I like Dr. Seuss books,” Sherrill said. “If he were here I’d tell him ‘Happy Birthday.”’

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