Susan Renfroe, school librarian, said Goshen Elementary School will celebrate the birthday of American writer and illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel with a variety of activities all week long.

The Cat in the Hat made a grand entrance, giving high-fives to the kids and then staying around for the afternoon-long celebration.

“We all love Dr. Seuss and his books make reading so much fun that we want to read them again and again,” Renfroe said. “Today, we are focusing on Dr. Seuss’ never seen before book, ‘What Pet Should I Get?’”

All of the day’s activities related to Dr. Seuss’ “new” book. The manuscript was found in a box in the late author’s home and was published in mid-2015.

With about 500 students hanging on most every word, Renfroe read Seuss’ new book as the images were flashed on screen. The new book is the story of a brother and sister who visit a pet store to pick out “one” pet. Choosing one pet from lots of pets is not an easy thing for anyone to do. But having a pet is a special thing, Renfroe said.

“Pets are comforting. When we are feeling sad or lonely, a pet can make everything better,” Renfroe said in introducing the first guest, Delaney Davenport. “When Delaney was eight years old, she was very sick and had to go to Children’s Hospital.”

Although the thoughts of going to the hospital were scary, Davenport told the students that the hospital was not a sad place.

“I had cancer and that was scary and I was miserable,” she said. “But there was always somebody doing things – bringing me coloring books, books and stuffed animals – things that put a smile on my face. I had a fun even though I was sick.”

Renfroe said that pets – like dogs and cats – pets that you can cuddle with can take away sadness and loneliness and make you feel better even when you are sick.

She introduced Bill Searcy who owns a funeral home in Enterprise and his Labrador retriever, Sandy, a comfort dog or service dog.

“When people are sick, being with a pet can help them feel better,” Searcy said. “When people are sad, a pet can bring comfort, too. At the funeral home, Sandy is there to help bring comfort to families that are very sad. A dog can bring comfort to people at nursing homes, too. Pets have so much love in them that they make you feel better just by being there.”

Searcy walked Sandy among the children and, if smiles are any indication, then 500 children went home Monday afternoon feeling much better.