This month, for the 15th year in a row, volunteer Jessica Wexler brought her creative Storytime with Cat in the Hat program to the Watchung Library. To celebrate Wexler’s milestone, Friends of the Watchung Library threw a surprise party, with cake, a card, and a gift. Guests who came out to honor Wexler included members of the Friends of the library, members of the Library Advisory Board, Watchung Borough Council members, and library staff and patrons.
Storytime with Cat in the Hat celebrates the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. Seuss is the popular author of children’s books including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and many others.
Wexler says she first got the idea for bringing The Cat to the library after a Seussville Fair her children attended at Bayberry Elementary School. “I bought the costume to wear for the day, and it seemed a shame to only wear it once. We’ve always been voracious readers, and the library was our second home when they were little. The first year, I just stopped by in my Cat costume after the Seussville Fair for fun and to say hello to any children that happened to be there.”
Even after so many appearances as The Cat, Wexler admits to still having butterflies in the stomach just before the start of the program each year, but once the children arrive, she’s fine. “It’s my love for the kids that gets me through those few minutes of being nervous,” she says.
There was a surprising moment during the very first Cat in the Hat program in 2002. The costume Wexler bought came with a rubber mask, which she wore “to look authentic,” but it scared one of the children so much that he started to cry. She pulled the mask off to show him that she was a real person, but, she says, “I don’t think he was fully convinced.” She hasn’t worn the mask since. “Besides terrifying the audience I was supposed to delight, it was hard to see out of it and I sounded like Darth Vader every time I took a breath.”
Over the years the activities at Storytime with Cat in the Hat have included face painting Cat noses and whiskers, McElligot’s Pool fishing game, The Cat’s beanbag toss, Green Eggs and Ham relay races (a favorite with the children), tumbling using Wexler’s nylon tunnel and small balance beam, reading Dr. Seuss stories, making birthday cards for the Cat, and enjoying birthday cupcakes and juice. Wexler makes pink cupcakes because Cat in the Hat eats pink cake in the bathtub in Cat in the Hat Comes Back.
But Dr Seuss Day at the library is more than just fun. As Wexler puts it, “I hope the kids are learning that creativity and fun with books can continue even after the book itself has been closed. I love when children know that Laura Ingalls was a real little girl. I love when children know that you can see Christopher Robin’s real Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the New York Public Library, and that Bambi is a novel written by Felix Salten …. Books can be the starting point of so many wonderful things.”
Watchung Library Youth Services Librarian Sharon Orlando praised Wexler. “Joy, dedication, creativity, generosity, love of reading, and sense of belonging are what Jessica brings to the library each time she visits. Although the Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss are celebrating a birthday together, Jessica is the gift to the families who come to the party. The magic she creates never gets old, and the memories she leaves last a lifetime. I, like so many children and parents who have come to her programs over the years, am so grateful for all she has given to us.”
Friends’ of the Watchung Library Board member Hazel Bell agreed, adding, “Jessica’s generosity with her time and talents are a bright reflection on the nature of the Watchung community. She is a fitting example of community spirit, and we are all richer for her contributions. I firmly believe that volunteer contributions are a large part of what make our library such a cherished community service.”
The Friends of the library are counting on many more appearances of The Cat to entertain future Watchung preschoolers. Wexler says “After 15 years I can’t imagine not doing Cat in the Hat at Watchung Library. The whole day would feel empty, and I might have to wear the costume to Target or something to get it out of my system. I guess I’ll keep going as long as they’ll have me!”
(above) This month, for the 15th year in a row, volunteer Jessica Wexler brought her creative Storytime with Cat in the Hat program to the Watchung Library
