Although it’s not the law of the land that Green Eggs and Ham are served on March 2 each year, it should be.

For on that day, little kids and big people alike celebrate the life and lines of America’s favorite author, Dr. Seuss.

Some people might argue that Dr. Seuss is not “the” most popular author in the country but they would be wrong, said Jimmy Ramage, Brundidge mayor and president of First National Bank

“Everybody loves Dr. Seuss and there probably aren’t many people who haven’t read his books or seen them on television,” Ramage said. “I look forward to March 2 every year because we get to come to Pike County Elementary School and read a couple of Dr. Seuss’ books to the children. I get a kick out of watching the kids as the stories are read.”

Christy Wilson, First National Employee, read to the kindergarten students at Pike County Elementary School. She and Ramage were both dressed as “Seuss” cats and they wore the hats that have become Dr. Seuss trademarks.

“We have been participating in Dr. Seuss’ birthday celebration for several years,” Ramage said. “First National Bank is involved with Pike County High School through the Business and Finance Academy and we wanted to be more involved with the elementary school here in town and I can think of no better way or a more fun way than ‘Reading Across America’ with Dr. Seuss.”

When Banks School Principal Dr. Mike Hall went to Banks Primary School Friday morning, he left his red and white top hat at home, so he had to be “made up” to look like the “Cat in the Hat” as he read to the students.

“I should have brought my hat,” Hall said, laughing, as he was face-painted with whiskers and a kitty nose.

Hall said that the “Reading Across America” program is a fun way to get children more interested in reading and excited about the written word.

“Dr. Seuss’ stories do that.”

At Pike Liberal Arts School, the third-grade students learned that even college baseball players like to read Dr. Seuss’ stories.

Troy University athletes, Tanner Hicks and William Teal, read “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” to a very attentive audience.

The Dr. Seuss book encourages children to follow their dreams to all different places in the big, wide world. And, who knows? Those places might be a big city, on a mountaintop or on the baseball diamond at Troy University.

Becky Baggett, Pike Liberal Arts School assistant headmaster, said Dr. Seuss is so popular with kids because he “speaks their language.”

“It’s so easy for young students to associate with Dr. Seuss because he’s on their level,” she said. “His non-sense rhymes make stories with a lot of sense because each one of them has a life lesson. And, they are life lessons that children can understand. Dr. Seuss made a great contribution to children’s literature.”

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) published 46 children’s books that were often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme and frequent use of anapestic meter. He was a perfectionist in his work and he would sometimes spend up to a year on a book. It was not uncommon for him to throw out 95 percent of his material until he settled on a theme for his book. For a writer, he was unusual in that he preferred to only be paid after he finished his work rather than in advance.

March 2 has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.