Holloman Hears a Who

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman DeAndre Curtiss
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - --  "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go," said Theodor Seuss Geisel, though you may know him by his pen name Dr. Suess.

The Ahrens Memorial Library here hosted a Dr. Suess day March 2 in honor of his birthday.

"His books have really stood the test of time, with countless numbers of kids beginning to read with Dr. Seuss books," said Steven Haydu, Ahrens Memorial Library directory. "Also, many of his books have an underlying moral component. 'One Fish, Two Fish' addresses diversity and how wonderful that is, 'The Sneetches' is an anti-racism tale."

Sixty-one children from Holloman attended the event, which included readings of three of his most famous books, cake, punch, and prize giveaways. Each book was read by a member of the Holloman's First Sergeants Council during the event.

"I was very happy with the turnout, especially since several of the mothers made a point of telling me that they enjoyed the party and thanking us," said Haydu. "It was great having master sergeants (Tamara) Kissinger, (Michael) Cuevas, and (Bryan) Butler on hand to read to the children. It's not an easy reading Dr. Seuss out loud to a large lively group of children."

Dr. Suess, who was born March 2, 1904, published 46 children's books in his lifetime. Most notable are books like "The Cat in the Hat" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," which were both originally published in 1957. Today, 55 years later, his works have lasted long past his 1991 death at the age of 87, reaching an audience of not only young readers but now whole families in feature film adaptations of his most his most famous books, with "The Lorax" being released today.

"When I was a kid, I can remember reading Dr. Suess books quite often and finding them to be very entertaining," said Master Sgt. Tamara Kissenger, 49th Operations Support Squadron first sergeant. "Books like 'Green Eggs and Ham' are classics, I read them when I was young, and I read them to my children growing up as well."

The Ahrens Memorial Library hosts many events like Dr. Suess Day, where children can be read to and enjoy good children's books. For information on these reading events, contact them at (575) 572-3939.