With a big smile, 7-year-old Sam Hussey, first grader at Hazel Dell Elementary School, proudly introduced himself as “Sam-I-am” on Tuesday.

Just perfect for Clark County’s annual embrace of green eggs and ham, dished out to first-graders at 43 local schools all this week in tribute to Dr. Seuss’ captivating books and the joy of reading.

One problem: Sam wouldn’t touch his dyed eggs.

“I’m not gonna eat ’em, ’cause green freaks me out,” Sam said, nibbling safely on the non-emerald ham.

A few cafeteria seats away, his twin brother, Jacob, also shied from the main course, munching his small red apple instead. At least their mother, Heather Hussey, had braved the eggs.

“They’re good. I was a little concerned at first, but I decided to go for it,” she said.

A spirit of adventure is eggs-actly what sponsors of the meal hope to encourage: The chance to soar to new worlds, real or imagined, inside every new book.

Besides the food, once again the handiwork of Beaches Restaurant and Bar staff and a small army of local volunteers, each youngster got to wear their own striped “Cat in the Hat” headgear for the occasion. And each departed with a new, donated book of their own choosing, courtesy of Riverview Community Bank.

Replicated in all Vancouver and Evergreen district grade schools, a few more in Ridgefield and Washougal, plus a couple of private campuses, the festive event is part of a nationwide Read Across America campaign to encourage children’s reading.

Sponsored by the National Education Association for a 13th year, the colorful celebration peaks each March 2. That’s the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, author of the famed book series, who died at age 87 in 1991.

Millions of Americans were expected to don the signature Cat hat on Tuesday, the NEA said.

One parent who needed no extra encouragement was Shanan Watkins, who has read Dr. Seuss to her three children over the past two decades. The last is Patsy, 7, a Hazel Dell first-grader.

“I know the whole book by heart. I’ve memorized it,” Watkins said with a laugh.

She’s also going to carry the theme into the weekend. “I’m making (green eggs) Saturday for breakfast,” she said, over the mild protest of Patsy.

No one could complain about the vast selection of books laid out for pupils to choose.

Why would they, with titles such as “Slugs in Love,” “The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin,” “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” “La Princesa y el Guisante (The Princess and the Pea)” and “The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon”?

As for well-known volumes, the NEA this week announced results of its unscientific Web poll to measure respondents’ all-time favorite book series.

Nearly a third, 31 percent, listed the Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling. Next were the Ramona stories authored by Portland native Beverly Cleary, 19 percent; the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, at nearly 13 percent; the Chronicles of Narnia classics, penned by C.S. Lewis, also near 13 percent; and the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, 10 percent.

Howard Buck: 360-735-4515 or howard.buck@columbian.com.

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