Dr. Seuss Gets 108th Birthday Fete – And a Movie Too!

The 108th birthday of Ted "Dr. Seuss" Geisel will be celebrated today with the annual Read Across America event, a party at UC San Diego, and the opening of a film based on one of his most popular children's books.

A film based on Geisel's 1971 environmental morality tale, "The Lorax," opens at theaters nationwide, . In the book, a character called the Once-ler narrates the story of the harmful impact brought about by insatiable demand for Truffula trees.

The movie version features the voices of Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, Betty White, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms and Rob Riggle.

School district leaders and elected officials will read to students at campuses in San Diego in the morning. Read Across America began in 1998, using Dr. Seuss stories to motivate children to read.

The schools include Fulton Elementary School, 7055 Skyline Drive, Adams Elementary School, 4672 35th St., and Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School, 4133 Mt. Albertine Ave. 

UC San Diego, the beneficiary of millions of dollars from Geisel and his widow, Audrey, will hold a birthday party in his honor in front of the campus' main library, which bears his name.

The school will serve 2,000 pieces of cake and the Teeny Tiny Pit Orchestra will perform songs from "The Cat in the Hat Songbook."

The library holds about 10,000 items in its Dr. Seuss collection, including original drawings, drafts of manuscripts, books, photos and other memorabilia.

In addition, the Oceanside Civic Center Library will hold a Lorax-themed party in celebration of Dr. Seuss.

– City News Service