KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
It was a sight to be seen as Fancy Nancys, Harry Potters, and Things One and Things Two filled the rooms of O’Loughlin Elementary … and, ah yes, there was a Nancy Drew too.
Monday’s “Dress as your favorite book character” is one of the many events planned this week at elementary schools in Hays and across the country celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday in conjunction with National Read Across America by the National Department of Education.
Kristy Oborny, O’Loughlin librarian and fourth-grade teacher, dressed as the “monster version” of Mrs. Beamster from the Mike Thaler book, “The Librarian from the Black Lagoon.”
“In the ‘Black Lagoon’ book, the kids … have heard rumors the librarian is a beast. … When they actually meet her, they realize she is very nice,” said Oborney, admitting while it was hard to sit down in her costume, getting into character was worth it.
“The kid’s get excited to see us dress up,” she said. “Not only that, but we are also talking about importance of reading and literature.”
As the kindergarten class and first graders ate lunch in the cafeteria, there were a lot of kids asking each other, “Who are you?”
“I’m a dalmation,” kindergartner John Walters said, referring to the book “101 Dalmations” by Dodie Smith. “There were 15 dalmations and he got a new home and they sold the van and took it to the house that had 15 puppies and then they found out there were 101.”
Morgan Armbruster, 6, was dressed as Fancy Nancy, a character in a series of books by Jane O’Connor.
Armbruster said she likes Fancy Nancy, well, because “she’s fancy.”
The well-known character is also known for her out-of-control hair, a process Armbruster explained was created with help from her mom.
“Last night, she put it like this and then she took it like this,” Armbruster said, twisting her hair. “And we took it out today and it looked like this.”
Oborny said the event does serve its purpose, as she saw more kids come to the library and check out Dr. Seuss books and other books based on another child or teacher’s character.
Library secretary Toni Lohrmeyer spent the morning working at Lincoln Elementary before coming to O’Loughlin for the afternoon.
“It is really fun to see both schools and everybody giving a happy birthday to Dr. Seuss,” she said behind a paper nose and whiskers to portray “Library Mouse,” based on the book by the same name written by Daniel Kirk.
Oborny said O’loughlin has week full of activities to celebrate reading.