The doctor is in the house — or at the very least all the schools.

Dr. Seuss, that is.

Students and teachers across Lawrence County and the entire country are putting on their red and white striped hats, get their tongues loosened up and taking a trip to Whoville this week, all in honor of a man who knew it was never too early to instill a love of reading and the importance of literacy.

Tuesday was National Read Across America Day, an event started 12 years ago and always held on the birthday of Theodor Geisel, the man who will forever be known as Dr. Seuss.

This national observance that often carries into the entire week is important for many reasons but none more so than the fact it will help make reading fun for millions of children by exposing them to Seuss’ colorful characters and tongue-twisting goofiness.

We applaud all the school districts for their efforts to honor a man who has impacted the lives of millions of youth and helped open the door early to a love of reading.

Without Dr. Seuss, our world would be less interesting and potentially less literate.

“Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers,” according to the National Education Association. “Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.”

For many, that first step came from Dr. Seuss and that is something truly worth celebrating.