Sherry Deangelo loves reading to her children books by Dr. Seuss with colorful pictures of a dog with antlers and the Grinch stealing a Christmas tree.

I know it sounds silly, said Deangelo, assistant program director Non-Traditional Student Services. But I really like the Grinch.

Dr. Seuss and his many colorful characters will be brought to life at the third annual Dr. Seuss Festival 2 p.m. Saturday in the Student Center Ballrooms. The free event is sponsored by Non-Traditional Students Services and Student Development.

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The festival began as a way to give busy non-traditional students a chance to bond with their families and promote literacy.

Dr. Seuss is familiar to all age groups, Deangelo said. Families don’t get to spend a lot of time together, and this gives them a chance to combine academics and fun.

Non-Traditional Student Services also allows everyone from students to community members to celebrate their memories of Dr. Seuss.

Last year, 300 people were expected to attend the festival but 450 arrived. People of all ages, with or without children, attended the festival. This year sponsors are prepared for 500 people.

It seems no matter what the weather is, still a lot of people come out, Deangelo said. So many people grew up with him.

Michelle Garrett loves to read the Dr. Seuss books Green Eggs and Ham and Oh the Places You’ll Go!. As a graduate assistant with Non-Traditional Student Services, she has been spending five to six hours a day helping to create the festival.

It’s been unbelievably fun, she said. It’s a wonderful opportunity for SIUC students and their families to become involved in the community.

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With the help of over 60 volunteers, both students and community members, the imaginary world of Seuss will become a reality.

Three stories, Horton Hatched an Egg, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket and Green Eggs and Ham will be read aloud by a storyteller and volunteers. Two animated movies, Butter Battle Book and The Cat in the Hat will be shown, and the event also will feature games, prizes and crafts honoring Dr. Seuss. The first 100 children at the event will be able to have their picture taken with the Cat in the Hat.

This SIUC event is one of many homages paid to Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, has been bringing cartoons and flowing rhymes to the hand’s, eyes and ears of children and adults since 1957 when his first book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street was published.

The Cat in the Hat started an interesting series of books Geisel wrote specifically to help literacy among children. Geisel was given a list of 400 words important for first graders to know, and nine months later this first book in that series book was an instant success. One million copies of The Cat in the Hat have been sold.

Geisel got many of his story ideas from life experiences or from bets.

Green Eggs and Ham was written after a friend bet him $50 he could not write a book using just 50 words. He wrote the story with 50 words, using not 82 times and I 81 times. The bet was never paid.

Horton Hatches an Egg was conceived from a more unsettling experience. It was written when Geisel visited Hiroshima after it was bombed.

In 1975, he began to experience a series of medical difficulties. that led to a serious heart attack in 1981. Seuss died Sept. 24, 1991 at 87, leaving the world with a legacy of books.

Because of the way Geisel was able to transform his life and adventures into a fun way to teach literacy, Dr. Seuss has been able to reach children of all ages. Deangelo expects these children to thoroughly enjoy Saturday’s Dr. Seuss festival.

All of his stories were fun and educational, she said. Young and old alike love Dr. Seuss.