'Seusspicious' behavior to unfold at County Library

The Monroe County Public Library is hosting a wonderous event! A crantabulous event! A zip-zoop-zabulous event!\nTomorrow, the MCPL and the Bloomington Parks and Recreation department are co-sponsoring "Seusspicious Behavior," a day of activities and presentations to commemorate the 100th birthday of celebrated children's author, Theodore Seuss Geisel -- better known as Dr. Seuss. \nPatty Callison of the MCPL said the event will offer a wide variety of activities seeking to instill children with a love for reading and a love for Dr. Seuss.\n"There will be a station where children can make their own books," Callison said. "We are also going to have Seuss stories read aloud, possibly accompanied by music."\nBloomington Parks and Recreation will have some of its own activities at the celebration. Leslie Rea, employee of Bloomington Parks said the organization likes to work jointly with the library on this event because it allows the department to pool resources together and get more people involved.\n"We are putting on a youth production of 'The Cat in the Hat' that is directed by junior Sam Rude," said Rea. "There will also be trivia, face painting and games like 'Pin the Bowtie on the Cat.' Children can also participate as pieces in a life-size Dr. Seuss board game."\nDr. Seuss's works have gained a lot of media attention lately with movie versions of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat in the Hat" and the recent performance of "Seussical the Musical" at the IU Auditorium.\nCallison said the Library's celebration is part of a yearly tradition called Read Across America, in which schools and libraries across the country celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday by reading his books. The MCPL has its celebration the weekend before his actual birthday, and this year's festivities will be unique due to the 100th anniversary of his birth.\nGraduate student Krista Riggs is an intern at the library's children's section and will be helping out with Saturday's activities.\n"I think Dr. Seuss's books have remained so popular because they are timeless and the rhymes and made-up words will always be funny," Riggs said.\nThe event is free and will take place at the MCPL, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave, from 1 to 4 p.m. and is open to preschool and elementary school children, their families and those who are young at heart. Performances of "The Cat in the Hat" will begin at 1:15, 2, 2:45 and 3:30 p.m.\n"He was the first author to write books for children to read that were actually fun," Callison said. "He made it fun to learn to read." \n-- Contact staff writer Jorie Slodki at jslodki@indiana.edu.