The 500 Hats

March 2 is Texas Independence Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836, as well as Sam Houston's birthday (1793-1863).

It is also the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Libraries and elementary schools across the United States at this time of year have special programs, including Read Across America, in his memory and honor.

The first Dr. Seuss book I remember reading was The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, written in 1938 and falling into my hands some twenty years later when I was in second grade. I came to like many (not all) of the Seuss books, yet this whimsical tale of a boy who tried but failed to remove his hat in the presence of a king caught my imagination. There was something hilarious about the hats that kept popping up on his head whenever he removed one, and something not-so-hilarious about the fact that he risked losing his head because he did not seem to be able to lose his hat. The fact that the hats grew more and more elaborate as his danger increased only added to my delight. I may also have liked it that the story took place in the Kingdom of Didd. Not Dodd, but close enough when you are in second grade.

Although I was not all that fond of the Cat in the Hat books, Tom and I do have Thing One and Thing Two t-shirts. (These are very popular in the t-shirt shops in the Dells, and you see families walking by with kids wearing Thing One, Thing Two, Thing Three, Thing Four shirts.) I bought my Thing Two shirt to wear on the bookmobile during Seuss Week, and I got a Thing One shirt for my co-worker. Since I already had Thing Two, Tom had to be Thing One -- which is fitting because he is s-o-o-o-o much older!

Quote from The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins: "The kingdom of Didd was ruled by King Derwin. His palace stood high on the top of the mountain. From his balcony, he looked down over the houses of all his subjects ... It was a mighty view and it made King Derwin feel very important."

You will notice that this book was written in prose, not the anapestic tetrameter that you find in many of his books.