Would you like to go to space?
Would you touch the moon's bright face?
Do you dream about the stars?
Perhaps one day you'll walk on Mars!
Image above: Students from West Mastin Lake Elementary School sit around NASA's Dr. Suess. Credit: NASA
This poem sounds like part of a Dr. Seuss story. Many people like Dr. Seuss and his stories. Many children and teachers do something special on his birthday -- March 2. They read! This day is called "Read Across America."
Kids in Alabama could not wait for his birthday. One week before his birthday, they went to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Who do you think they met there? Dr. Suess! This is not the Dr. Seuss who wrote stories about the Grinch and Sam I Am. This Dr. Suess works for NASA. He studies the sun. (Look closely and you will see that the doctors' names are not spelled the same.)
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center has a place for teachers. Teachers come there to get NASA lessons and posters for school. But on this day, the students came, too. Dr. Suess read "Max Goes to the Moon" by Jeffrey Bennett. He even wore a red-and-white-striped hat like the Cat in the Hat wears.
Image above: Students listen while Dr. Suess reads "Max Goes to the Moon." Credit: NASA
Since Dr. Suess studies the sun, he showed the students pictures of the sun. They watched a movie about the solar system. Before they left, they all sang, "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss." And, each child took home the book, "Our Very Own Star, the Sun."
They all had fun with reading, Dr. Suess and NASA.
