The children recognize the books as soon as they see them.

“I love Dr. Seuss,” says Michael Goetz, a student in Betty Hoge’s kindergarten class at Skaith Elementary School.

They pour over the pages, pointing out funny characters and scenes and reading out loud to each other.

“Look at this,” Presley Shipps says to Michael, looking at a page from “The Cat in the Hat,” “the fish is in the coffee pot!”

More than 60 years since the release of his first children’s book — “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” — and almost 18 after his death, Dr. Seuss, whose 105th birthday is tomorrow, remains one of the most popular children’s authors. Generations of children like Presley and Michael were read Dr. Seuss by their teachers and their parents, who heard Dr. Seuss from their teacher and their parents before them.

“(His work) just withstands time,” says Ginger Rudolph, children’s librarian at the St. Joseph Downtown Library.

Will Stuck, children’s librarian at the St. Joseph East Hills Library, says Dr. Seuss books are often checked out, and many never make it back to the library.

“I have to try to keep myself stocked on them,” he says. “Unfortunately, a lot of the really popular authors are the ones that never come back to us.”

So what makes Dr. Seuss (real name Thedor Seuss Geisel) so ever-lasting? Mr. Stuck says the world of whimsy he created, with made-up words and imaginary characters, is one thing that makes him popular. And children agree.

“This place is fun,” Presely says as she reads “Horton Hears a Who,” turning to a page filled with the Whos and their tiny world. “I wish I could go there.”

“Look at all these funny instruments,” says Michael, flipping to another page where the Whos are playing music that could only be played in a Seuss world.

Along with the characters and creatures and wubbulous words of Dr. Seuss, his writing style also appeals to children.

“He’ll probably always be remembered because of his funny characters and the words that he chose,” says Mrs. Hoge. “They’re fun to listen to, with all the alliteration and the rhyming.”

Ms. Rudolph says Dr. Seuss’ “sing-song rhyming rhythm” appeals to kids as well. Not only that, but the books all include a lesson.

“He had this really cool way of using the rhythm and the sing-song and the pattern and putting a message in there, very subtly,” she says.

They’re subtle, but the children still understand them. Skaith kindergartner Brayden Ashton says “Green Eggs and Ham” teaches to “try (things) and see if you like it, but if you don’t, you don’t know.”

And Izabelle Hernandez says “The Cat in the Hat” teaches “not to mess with your mom’s stuff ...”

Technology is another way the works of Dr. Seuss have remained fresh for children. Live-action films of “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” and the animated “Horton Hears a Who,” all released in the past decade. These movies helped Dr. Seuss reach a new audience, Mr. Stuck says.

“There’s not a whole lot of books that were turned into movies, not children’s books,” says Mr. Stuck. “People were able to hear the stories through other means and then gravitated toward the books.”

And while there are a few other children’s authors that have written books whose popularity have spanned decades, most don’t have the kind of name recognition or lasting power that Dr. Seuss has. His work spanned more than 50 years, selling more than 200 million copies of his books and being translated into 15 languages.

“It’s tough to find any (children’s authors) that are like Seuss,” says Mr. Stuck. “He achieved a status in children’s literature that few will ever catch.”

Lifestyles reporter Lacey Storer can be reached at lstorer@ngpco.com