Dr. Seuss Poems For Read Across America Day: 5 Book Rhymes To Share On The Author's Birthday

On Thursday, take a look — it's in a book.

Thursday is Read Across America Day, an annual observation organized by the National Education Association. The unofficial holiday, recognized mainly in schools and libraries, honors the author and illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. It also doubles as a more general celebration of reading and children's books.

If you're hoping to take part in the Read Across America Day festivities, there's one very obvious way to get involved: read a book. If you don't have one on hand, we're here to help.

Read below for excerpts from some of Seuss' most famous poems, with sources linked:

"The Cat In The Hat"

The sun did not shine.

It was too wet to play.

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold, wet day.

I sat there with Sally.

We sat there, we two.

And I said, “How I wish

We had something to do!”

Too wet to go out

And too cold to play ball.

So we sat in the house.

We did nothing at all.

So all we could do was to

Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!

And we did not like it.

Not one little bit.

And then

Something went BUMP!

How that bump made us jump!

We looked!

Then we saw him step in on the mat!

We looked!

And we saw him!

The Cat in the Hat!

And he said to us, “Why do you sit there like that?”

“I know it is wet

And the sun is not sunny.

But we can have

Lots of good fun that is funny!”

“I know some good games we could play,”

Said the cat.

“I know some new tricks,”

Said the Cat in the Hat.

“A lot of good tricks.

I will show them to you.

Your mother

Will not mind at all if I do.”

Then Sally and I

Did not know what to say.

Our mother was out of the house

For the day.

"Oh, The Places You'll Go!"

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.

Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

"The Lorax"

Through the years, while my buildings

have fallen apart,

I've worried about it

with all of my heart.

But now, says the Once-ler,

Now that you're here,

the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.

Unless someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

It's not.

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"

One fish

Two fish

Red fish

Blue fish.

Black fish

Blue fish

Old fish

New fish.

This one has a little star.

This one has a little car.

Say! What a lot

Of fish there are.

Yes. Some are red. And some are blue.

Some are old. And some are new.

Some are sad.

And some are glad.

And some are very, very bad.

Why are they

Sad and glad and bad?

I do not know.

Go ask your dad.

Some are thin.

And some are fat.

The fat one has

A yellow hat.

From there to here, from here to there,

Funny things

Are everywhere.

"Green Eggs And Ham"

Do you like

Green eggs and ham

I do not like them,

Sam-I-am.

I do not like

Green eggs and ham.

Would you like them

Here or there?

I would not like them

Here or there.

I would not like them

Anywhere.

I do not like

Green eggs and ham.

I do not like them,

Sam-I-am.

Would you like them

In a house?

Would you like them

With a mouse?

I do not like them

In a house.

I do not like them

With a mouse.

I do not like them

Here or there.

I do not like them

Anywhere.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you eat them

In a box?

Would you eat them

With a fox?

Not in a box.

Not with a fox.

Not in a house.

Not with a mouse.

I would not eat them here or there.

I would not eat them anywhere.

I would not eat green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.