How do you like your green eggs and ham?

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! The beloved author and illustrator, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Mass. He gave us the Cat in the Hat, Horton the elephant, the Christmas-averse Grinch, the determined Sam-I-Am, with his green eggs and ham, and many more unforgettable characters.

According to his biography, available through the library's Gale Biography in Context database, his books have been translated into nearly every language in the world, with more than 100 million copies sold. Animated TV specials of his stories have won Emmys and Peabody awards.

In 1984, Geisel earned a Special Award and Citation from the Pulitzer Prize committee recognizing his contributions to children's literature. Until Geisel, books for children beginning to read had been dull affairs. The Cat in the Hat, with its humor, imagination and wordplay— changed all that.

Later, Geisel would talk about the process:

"Writing children's books is hard work, a lot harder than most people realize, and that includes most writers of children's books. And it never gets any easier. I remember thinking that I might be able to dash off The Cat in the Hat in two or three weeks. Actually, it took over a year. You try telling a pretty complicated story using less than two hundred and fifty words! No, don't, not unless you're willing to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite."

Geisel passed away at the age of 87 in 1991.

In honor of Dr. Seuss' achievements, the National Educational Association celebrates his birthday each year as Read Across America Day. Edcators, families, city officials and celebrities come together to read his works aloud to children to encourage literacy. The Houston Chronicle has posted a video of several local celebs — including former first lady Barbara Bush, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, activist and minister Quanell X, Mayor Annise Parker and Lakewood Church's Victoria Osteen — reading Green Eggs and Ham:

Feel like picking up some Seuss yourself? You'll find many of them in our children's department under E SEUSS (children's picture books)and ER SEUSS (children's beginning readers). Please check with a librarian if you have any questions. Happy reading!