Story by Gini Davis

Celebrating the birth of one of the most famous and beloved children's book authors of all time, Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel), is an annual tradition for the kindergarten classrooms at Creslane Elementary School.

Each year during the week of Geisel's birth, Creslane kindergarteners are given the opportunity to taste the breakfast dish featured in the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham.

Students also make Cat in the Hat hats, read Dr. Seuss books, watch Dr. Seuss DVDs and glue paper cutouts of green eggs and ham to paper plates, on which they write whether they did or did not like the green eggs and ham they sampled.

"The kids study Dr. Seuss all week long and it's always fun," said kindergarten teacher Cheryl Clancey as students enjoyed their tasty treat on Friday, March 5.

Morning and afternoon kindergarteners taught by Clancey, Debbie Larson and Michelle Mercer listened as teachers or adult volunteers read Green Eggs and Ham, or watched a Green Eggs and Ham DVD and discussed it while their green eggs and ham were being prepared.

Students in Clancey's afternoon class also enjoyed white-frosted chocolate cupcakes provided by their classmate, Alivia Sweeney and her mother, Victoria Zilm.

The sweet treat celebrated Sweeney's final day in the class before her family moved out of district.

With just one frying pan to share between the classrooms, Larson's afternoon students consumed their green eggs and ham first and then enjoyed Dr. Seuss story time and outside recess while Clancey's students ate theirs.

Most students who tried the green eggs and ham ultimately agreed with the character in the story that discovers, after finally being persuaded to try them by his friend, Sam-I-am, that he really does like green eggs and ham.

A few holdouts, however, such as Evan Stephens, a student in Clancey's afternoon class, refused to be converted, carefully copying the words, "I do NOT like Green Eggs and Ham" on the backs of their paper plate projects.

Born March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Mass., Geisel is the author of 44 children's books that are beloved for their ingenious rhymes, whimsical creatures and fanciful machines.

Both Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat utilize a simple vocabulary, making them accessible to beginning readers.

Legend has it that Geisel, who died in 1991 at age 87, wrote Green Eggs and Ham in response to a $50 bet that he could not write a book that used only 50 words.

He succeeded.

The 50 words used in Green Eggs and Ham are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.