The Cat in a Hat's Tale from Ambassador Godec

Robert F. Godec is currently the Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the Department of State. From 2006 to 2009, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia. Ambassador Godec has also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and was Deputy Coordinator for the Transition in Iraq, charged with organizing the transition of policy and operational elements of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the standup of U.S. Mission Iraq.

During his time as US Ambassador to Tunisia, Ambassador Godec blogged at Tumbler here. One of our favorite posts was one he did about a year ago on “Reading Rocks!” at the American Cooperative School of Tunis.  Below are some kids dressed up as their favorite book characters and two ambassadors playing along. That's UK Ambassador Chris O’Connor in the Union Jack hat and Ambassador Godec as the Cat in the Hat.

Photo from Ambassador Godec's blog

The Cat in the Hat’s Tale (Or… Why reading is magic!)
A poem by Bob Godec (with apologies to Dr. Seuss)
Written for the ACST “Reading Rocks!” Assembly | March 2009

I’ve come here today
With my striped hat and tie
For reading is magic
And I want to say why.

So this I must tell,
For it is just what is true
When you read a good book
You’ll never be blue.

Left all alone?
No one to play?
Read a short story
It’ll take you away!

With books as your friends
You’ll go many places
Some far, far away…
Why you’re off to the races!

There’ll be castles and dragons
And flights to the moon
Oh my,
my,
my,
my,
Don’t you want to go soon?

One day you can run
A race out on Mars
And the next you can sip
Tea with the stars.

You can cross a great desert
On a camel, in the sun
And find a lost kingdom
Now won’t that be fun!

Want to climb a tall mountain?
Meet a wizard or two?
Just open a book
There’ll be wonders for you.

For me a good book
Or a story so right
Is just what it takes
To make life really bright.

So I hope you will read
And give adventure a try
For there’s magic in words
And now you know why.

Well it’s time, I must go
But I’ll leave you with this
Trust the Cat in the Hat
And you just cannot miss.