By themselves, Dr. Seuss books are highly imaginative and entertaining. But if you put one in the hands of actor Robin Williams, watch out. The characters jump off the pages to mug, prance and swagger at humorous hyperspeed, much to the delight of youngsters. It's mile-a-minute madness and frenzied fun bordering on insanity. In Williams' hands, Seuss is truly on the loose as never before.
Actor Robin Williams holds Fairmount Elementary students spellbound during this Read Across America event.
The star of Mrs. Doubtfire, Flubber, Jumanji and countless other films needed no introduction to students at Fairmount Elementary School in San Francisco. There was an air of excitement as they crowded into the multipurpose room to hear Williams read three books in celebration of the third annual Read Across America observance, an event sponsored by CTA and NEA to impress upon children the joy of reading.
Williams, a father of three, says he offered to give an impromptu reading in his hometown for the fun of it. "I always have fun reading to kids. It's a blast," he said.
During the reading, he told the children, tongue in cheek, "I used to be a movie star, but now I'm doing this."
Against a backdrop of Seuss characters painted by students, Williams gave a reading that was pure theater while the students gazed at him with adoring, awestruck faces and even chanced talking back. He sprinkled his readings with Spanish for the benefit of the bilingual first-graders. Occasionally, impromptu observations sailed over the heads of children but were not lost on teachers and other adults quick enough to catch them.
Cats take over Legislature
CTA officers David A. Sanchez and Barbara E. Kerr (center) join Assembly Member Mike Honda (D-San Jose) and Sacramento City Teachers Association member Robert Lynch (right) in reading Dr. Seuss books to Sacramento City students during the observance of Read Across America in the Legislature.
"He's my favorite actor," gushed Manny Wallace, 9, one of the backdrop artists. "I've seen all his movies and now I get to hear him read. It's great."
The teachers were just as excited as the students. "It's a big surprise for Mr. Williams to be here," said Hilda Chavez, a first-grade Spanish bilingual teacher and member of United Educators of San Francisco. "It's so nice that he cares so much about children."
Reaching out
Fresno-Madera area teachers have joined forces with the Fresno Area Express, a bus company with a 1.2 million ridership, to get out the message that reading is essential. The teachers' groups are paying to produce Read Across America bus signs in English and Spanish - and possibly Hmong - in hopes of reaching a clientele they might not otherwise reach. In turn, the bus company has agreed to place the signs on buses and maintain them. Holding the sign are members of the Fresno Service Center Council and some of their students.
She added, "The students will take reading much more seriously when someone like Robin Williams comes in to read to them. It's something they will remember for the rest of their lives."
One child in particular has a new sense of himself as a result of Williams' attention. As Williams read about an "ambidextrous" creature, he paused to explain that ambidextrous was the opposite of dextrous. Without pause, little Robyn Traylor-Smith, seated on the floor with her shoelaces tied together, pointed out that Dexter was right there in the crowd. And young Dexter Thomas stood up to absorb the spotlight as Williams read about how the storybook character was off to great places and would move mountains. "Your mountain is waiting. ..."
