In the style of Dr Seuss …
Congratulations! Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!
Oh the places you’ll go when you run a website
You’ll be on the way up, you’ll be seeing great sights.
You have eyes in your head. You have camera and phone.
You can head anywhere, in pairs or alone.
So you wander to Springfield. You know what you know.
To Seuss’ Museum, that’s the place you must go.
You’ll look at old photos, look ’em over with care,
To find the real person who’s hiding in there.
See pictures and portraits, push buttons that splurge
And Ted Geisel the author will slowly emerge.
His own drawing table full of pencils and ink
And the big armchair where Ted used to think.
With hands-on activities for young and for old
The hours will fly by, the moments pure gold.
You’ll test out your spelling, meet all sorts of Things
Hear Horton’s Who and jazzy-fied pings.
And when you get tired sit down with a bump
You’ll find it quite comfy on the seven-humped-wump.
Take a book from the shelf and read it, all quiet,
While the Cat in The Hat prepares his next riot.
Outside in the courtyard there’s an oversized book.
Oh the places you’ll go, if you know where to look.
If you wander further, just follow your feet
You’ll soon find yourself on Mulberry Street.
Make sure you’re not wearing shoes that will pinch
Or you’ll grumble and grizzle like that miserable Grinch.
But just keep on going, oh half an hour more
You’ll wind up outside Ted’s very own door
In quiet Fairfield Street, not far from the Zoo.
You can pay your respects, you’ll know what to do.
So on you will hike, like the good doctor said,
And when you’ve done hiking you’ll head to your bed
And there you will dream the most wonderful dreams
Of the places you’ll go as the moon softly beams.
Today was good, today was fun,
Tomorrow is another one.
More information about Dr Seuss
I can’t imagine there’s anyone reading this who doesn’t know who Dr Seuss is, but Pork Belly says I’m wrong, so here’s a potted biography for those not in the know.
Theodor (without an e) Seuss “Ted” Geisel was a writer, cartoonist, publisher and animator best known for his series of wonderful children’s books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. By the time of his death in 1991 more than 600 million copies had been sold worldwide.
Geisel was the son of Henrietta (née Seuss) and Theodor Geisel. He was born and raised in Springfield and grew up less than a mile from Mulberry Street, made famous in his first children’s book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street”.
If I ran the Zoo
His maternal grandparents ran a bakery and his father was in charge of a brewery, which may explain some of the crazy food and drink factories to be found inside the covers of his books. When Prohibition came the brewery closed and Ted Geisel Senior became a park supervisor with responsibility for Springfield’s Forest Park Zoo, the basis of the classic “If I Ran the Zoo.”
Today Dr. Seuss is the inspiration for numerous film, TV and cartoon adaptations and his books remain hugely popular. I was raised on them and can still quote great chunks of my favourite “Sleep Book” which is why I insisted our American Road Trip included a stay in Springfield!
More information about The Amazing World of Dr Seuss Museum, Springfield
The museum pays tribute to the city’s famous son.
The ground floor and basement are child-orientated, packed with hands-on activities. The first room recreates the fun-filled feeling of Ted’s childhood home with examples of his early cartoons on the wall and interactive buttons that go “boingg”, “squawk” and “swoosh” to show how Ted himself might have experienced the world. You’re even encouraged to draw on the walls, electronically of course!
Everywhere is decorated in the unmistakable colours of Seuss’ world and there are play areas and models of his most famous characters dotted all around. Interactive screens invite you to test your ABCs and you’re actively encouraged to settle down with a book and read – aloud or to yourself.
Upstairs is more for those interested in the man behind the books with an extraordinary collection of photos, handwritten and drawn notes and personal memories from members of his family. There’s a recreation of his study, photos of his early life on Fairfield Street and a collection of memorabilia of his lesser-known work like his early advertising campaigns.
The other museums in the complex are included in the entry price and are worth a visit and the café serves hot and cold drinks and snacks at reasonable prices (no Moose Juice or Goose Juice though!)
There’s not much else to see and do in Springfield, although the zoo is still there in Forest Park. We found a beautiful old colonial style house in the historic area to stay in, just around the corner from the street where Ted grew up.
Where to next?
• Boston’s Freedom Trail – A History Walk
• Following in the footsteps of Grace
• Going underground at Château de Brézé