I have been a Dr. Seuss fan for as long as I can remember.  My love of Dr. Seuss started with the books my mom used to read to me as a child.  I’m always delighted when one of the books Paige picks of the shelf for me to read to her is The Cat in the Hat.  I mean, how could any child not love the clever rhymes, plot twists and rebellious heroes found in nearly ever Seuss book?   As my daughter has gotten older, we’ve slowly introduced television.  She is just now getting to the point where she actually watches a show.  That being said, I am really excited to see her reaction to the news below. 

To celebrate the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2, 2012 (he died in 1991) PBS KIDS is having a two-hour marathon of  its popular new series The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! including two brand new episodes.   The TV series and online resources are designed to cultivate positive views about science and scientists among the next generation.  I loved this tip sheet found on the PBS website about how to bring out the scientist in your little one.

In addition to the marathon, kids and parents can enjoy clips of all four of the episodes for free online at PBSKids.org/video and also on the PBS Kids Video app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Here is the full press release detailing the celebration in full plus episode blurbs.

As an aside, this will be the first of many PBS specials I’ll be letting you know about because I’ve just started on as a PBS KIDS VIP, a group of parent bloggers who will be ambassadors to PBS through their blogs and other social media outlets. I’ve been invited to the PBS annual meeting where we will be talking about the PBS shows, apps and other special programs.  I can’t wait to share all the exciting information with you!  Also, MARCH 1st at 9pm EST, there is a twitter party with PBS Kids.  Be sure to follow @aMomKnowsBest & @PBSkids #CatintheHat to join in the fun!

GIVEAWAY:  A fun bag of Dr. Seuss/PBS Kids loot!  Leave a comment section below to win.

Below is the press release on the PBS kids marathon.

PBS KIDS CELEBRATES DR. SEUSS’ BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 2
WITH THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON MULTIMEDIA EVENT

Arlington, VA, February 2, 2012 – On March 2, PBS KIDS will celebrate the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss on-air, online, and on mobile. PBS stations nationwide will feature THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT-A-THON, a two-hour marathon of THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! (check local listings). Kids will also be able to engage with the Cat and friends through games and video content online and on mobile, and parents will be able to enjoy a new Birthday Party Builder Tool on the PBS KIDS Shop website.

“THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! is designed to help young children learn core science skills to prepare them for success in school – while taking them on Seussian adventures that inspire their curiosity,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “Families, schools and communities around the country pay tribute to Dr. Seuss at this time each year, and we join them in honoring his legacy with content that encourages kids to explore the world around them.”

THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON will feature two brand new episodes, “Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter,” which takes the Cat, Nick and Sally on a journey through the four seasons, and “When I Grow Up/Doing It Differently,” in which Nick and Sally explore what it means to grow up and learn that trying a different approach can sometimes be the best way to solve a problem. The marathon will also include encore presentations of “Hooray for Hair/Ice Is Nice” and “Chasing Rainbows/Follow the Prints.”

The celebration will continue online and on mobile. Video clips from all four episodes featured in THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON will be available for free online at PBSKIDS.org/video and on the PBS KIDS Video App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The PBS KIDS Shop will also launch a Birthday Party Builder Tool – a one-stop-shop for parents’ every party need – on March 1. From tableware and party banners to clothing and gifts, the Party Builder offers customized recommendations based on the number of guests and exclusive, personalized products. It’s a fun and easy way for parents to plan the perfect party featuring their kids’ favorite characters, including the Cat in the Hat.

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! has ranked among the top ten programs for children ages 2 to 5 since it premiered on PBS KIDS in September 2010.* The series is a key part of PBS KIDS’ commitment to helping kids build critical STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – skills through engaging content across platforms.

Images from these episodes are available on PBS PressRoom.

Following is a listing of the episodes airing during the March 2 CAT-IN-THE-HAT-A-THON (check local listings for air dates and times).

“Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter” *NEW*

“Seasons – Spring and Summer” – For Show and Tell at school, Nick and Sally must bring something from their favorite season. But how can they choose which is their favorite? The Cat in the Hat takes them to the magical Garden of Seasons, where they can visit any season they like, any time they like! They meet three young animals and journey with them as they begin to grow up. Sally decides that she has two favorite seasons, and with the pictures taken from the Snaparama camera, she now has a scrapbook of pictures to show why!

“Seasons – Fall and Winter” – It’s Nick’s turn to choose a favorite season. Back to the Garden of Seasons to visit Fall and Winter! In Fall, they meet up with their friends from Spring and Summer to have a going away party for Candy the goose who’s about to fly south. In Winter, they have a great time playing with Sam the hare while all his other friends hibernate. Nick can’t decide on just one season, so he makes a picture of all the fun they had in both seasons!

“When I Grow Up/Doing Things Differently” *NEW*

“When I Grow Up” – Sally and Nick are trying to guess what they’ll be when they grow up when the Cat drops in for a visit. Cat is sure Nick and Sally will never guess what his friend Puggle will be when she grows up. When they see her, they start guessing right away! A frog? A duck? No, a beaver! They discover that, while Puggle may have some similarities to other creatures, she will grow up to be a duck billed platypus.

“Doing It Differently” – Nick and Sally can’t seem to find Harvey the guinea pig. They find the Cat in the Hat instead! Cat suggests that Sally and Nick might find Harvey by meeting three friends who always do things differently – like a bird that runs instead of flies, or a cat that swims, or a fish that walks on the mud! Nick and Sally are sure to find Harvey now – by doing it differently!

“Hooray for Hair/Ice Is Nice”

“Hooray for Hair” – Sally and Nick are getting their hair cut today; maybe they should try new hairstyles! A trip to meet three of Cat’s friends (and some styling help from the Wig-o-lator) will help them decide! Should they have Yak hair? No, too hot! How about hair like a fur seal? Not quite, too short. A porcupine? No way! How will they ever get a hug from their moms with hair that spiky? They decide that the hair they have is what’s perfect for them!

“Ice Is Nice” – Nick and Sally want some nice cold lemonade, but there are no more ice cubes in Sally’s fridge! A trip to Freeze-your-knees Snowland will fix that! They meet Cat’s friend Polly the polar bear who introduces Sally and Nick to all the different kinds of ice that make up her home. After trying many types of ice, they find the kind that will be perfect for their lemonade!

“Chasing Rainbows/Follow the Prints”

“Chasing Rainbows” – The kids are painting a picture of a rainbow but can’t remember all the colors to use. Luckily for them, Cat takes them to Color-ga-lore to meet King Kaleidoscope, an expert on rainbows! A musical number teaches them the proper color order, and a silly spray of water leads them to discover how to make their very own rainbow!

“Follow the Prints” – Nick and Sally are enjoying a backyard picnic when they discover their last strawberry has gone missing! Who could have taken it? Cat’s friend Cluey Looey can help them! They are off to Muddyfeet Waterhole where they learn about how the differently shaped feet, paws, or hooves of various animals make differently shaped footprints. Back home, they follow the prints and discover their strawberry was taken by a squirrel! Luckily, the Cat has some more!

About THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! was created in response to recent findings that children graduating from kindergarten are less prepared to learn about science than about other subjects. The series supports young children’s science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum — all in whimsical style.

A team of science and early childhood experts developed the curriculum for the first season’s 40 episodes, each of which begins with a question posed by Sally or Nick. Although the Cat knows a lot of things, his insatiable curiosity to learn more about the world leads to adventures with Sally and Nick in his one-of-a-kind Thinga-ma-jigger, a marvelously Seuss-ian contraption that sprouts wings, pontoons, booster rockets, skis, and just about anything else needed to find the answer. The inquisitive gang travels to the bottom of the sea to observe giant sea worms, zips to the rain forest to visit animals living in Kapok trees, and shrinks to bee-size to visit a hive and learn how honey is made. Guided by the Cat, the kids figure things out by observing, collecting and managing clues, making connections, constructing and evaluating theories, and having discussions – all in a preschool-appropriate manner. Produced by Portfolio Entertainment Inc. and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Entertainment, Treehouse, and PBS KIDS, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! is based on Random House’s best selling Beginner Book collection, “The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library.”