Short stuff: news for kids
A look at what's making headlines - from peanut butter stats to the world's smallest horse.
from the March 29, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 2
Creamy or chunky?
"Spread" the word: Peanut butter is the leading use of peanuts in the United States.
Although it's almost over, March has been National Peanut Month, and it's not too late to celebrate. So grab a spoon and a jar of peanut butter – and let's dig into some peanut butter facts:
• It takes roughly 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• Peanut butter is consumed in about 89 percent of US households.
• The world's largest peanut butter factory – Jif, in Lexington, Ky. – churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.
• The average child will eat 1,500 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches before he or she graduates high school.
• Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky, according to the National Peanut Board. (What's your favorite kind?)
Not just any hat
With only 236 different words, it became one of the most popular children's books ever. Earlier this month, Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" celebrated its 50th birthday.
Seuss wrote the book, which was first published in 1957, because he felt there should be more entertaining material for beginning readers. He nailed it.
Many book critics have also hailed the work from a literary standpoint. That's because it simultaneously maintains a strict triple meter, keeps to simple vocabulary, and tells a fun tale.
The author, whose real name was Ted Geisel, wrote and illustrated 44 children's books, including "Green Eggs and Ham" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
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