Today marks the 107th birthday of Dr. Seuss, the beloved author of numerous touchstones of children’s literature such as Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop and Horton Hears a Who!. Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, the writer and illustrator passed away in 1991, but the birthday of this scion of children’s books continues to be celebrated with Read Across America Day, a program created by National Education Association (NEA) in 1998. Throughout the nation, children, educators, librarians and people from all walks of life, will participate in reading activities to get kids excited about books. According to the NEA’s website: “Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.”

As reported on The Huffington Post First Lady Michelle Obama helped launch the Read Across America Day festivities this morning by attending a celebration at the Library of Congress. During the event, Mrs. Obama read the Seuss classic, The Cat in the Hat to young children who, like the book’s protagonist, sported red and white striped hats. “Do you know the president of the United States reads all the time,” she said, addressing over 200 elementary school students. “Our girls at home read every single night.” The First Lady also told the crowd that some of her family’s favorite books are Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hatches the Egg. She also revealed that Sasha and Malia, her two daughters, are allowed to stay up an extra half hour at bedtime if they are reading.

An article in the Los Angeles Times highlights a couple of ways readers at home can honor Dr. Seuss’ birthday and celebrate Read Across America Day. Dr. Seuss publisher Random House has posted special Read Across America teaching materials on their website www.seussville.com. Oceanhouse Media, the official app developer for the Dr. Seuss franchise, is having a week long sale on Dr. Seuss eBook apps. They are also currently featuring the Dr. Seuss Happy Birthday to You Camera app as a free download.