236 words, 50 years, priceless.

Byline: Bob Welch The Register-Guard

The revolution began 50 years ago today, fueled by a couple of home-alone kids, a mischievous feline and a couple of other things, specifically ``Thing 1'' and ``Thing 2.''

Theodor Geisel's ``The Cat in the Hat'' was published March 1, 1957, a debut that ignited the imaginations of pint-sized baby boomers in a way that Dick and Jane and that tediously frisky dog, Spot, had not.

What's more, the book would launch Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, into author orbit - his 50-plus books boast three times the sales of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling - and give him a certain immortality among kids. Though he died at 87 in 1991, schools still celebrate his birthday each year - Friday - as part of the Read Across America campaign.

``He's obviously in a league of his own,'' says Andrew Kim, community relations manager at Barnes & Noble, which will hold a Seuss edition of its monthly Pajamarama gathering at 7 p.m. Friday.

Among other Seuss-related events in Lane County, Adams Elementary School will hold a Dr. Seuss Book Festival tonight, then combine with Hillside Elementary for more Seuss celebrating Friday.

And at least one middle school, Cal Young, will join hundreds of schools from around the country in reading ``The Cat in the Hat'' over its intercom at 11:36 a.m. Friday. (That's 2:36 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the ``236'' representing the number of unique words Seuss used to write the book.)

"For a lot of baby boomers, it was the first book they read," says Linda Ague, the Cal Young librarian.

And, at the time, parents and teachers rejoiced. Those were the days that educators were wondering, ``Why can't Johnny read?''

Why? Because Dick and Jane were so boring - and repetitive; you can only ``see Spot'' so many times - that they could numb a caffeine-laced night owl. Then along came Seuss, as fast as a fox, with his literary ``fun-in-a-box.''

` `The Cat in the Hat' is just so creative,' says Ague. ``It's hard to find things that are amusing for kids these days.''

But the Cat keeps on delivering, half a century later.

The book is big worldwide. (Its name in Spanish? ``El gato en el sombrero.'') And perfect for Oregon readers, beginning as it does:

``The sun did not shine / It was too wet to play. / So we sat in the house / All that cold, cold wet day.''

You probably remember the rest.

Suffice it to say that this is one cool cat, unfazed by a wet-blanket fish and, having trashed the house, by the imminent return of ``Mom.''

The story, of course, raises questions: Why were the kids left home alone all day? Why was the door apparently left unlocked, allowing a strange cat to saunter in and make itself at home?

And what's the deeper meaning here? Does the cat's takeover represent a revolt against authority? Is he a bewhiskered Lenin in a red-and-white striped hat?

If you're desperately seeking answers, I recommend "The Annotated Cat" (Random House, $30, hardback), a wonderful new book by Kansas State University English professor Philip Nel, who examines it line by line.

Nel reminds us that, yes, Seuss' books can teach us to read.

``But they also teach us about poetry, politics, ethics, comics, history and con artistry - not to mention spot removal and indoor kite-flying.''

Speaking of authors and books, readers have been asking about Thelma Doak, the 104-year-old woman whom I wrote about Jan. 25, and the availability of her new book about her family's Dust Bowl years.

Doak has bounced back from a physical setback and will sign copies of the book, "A Handful of Straw Blowing in the Wind," at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Alpine Springs Assisted Living & Cottages, 3760 N. Clarey St., in west Eugene.

The book - hardback $20, soft cover $15 - will go on sale Monday at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St.; Books Without Borders, 199 W. Eighth Ave. No. 1; and both Smith Family bookstores, 768 E. 13th Ave. and 525 Willamette St.