U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Heather Bledsue had the full attention of the classroom as things got interesting in “Horton Hears a Who.” Excited kindergarteners listened as Bledsue read her favorite Dr. Seuss book beside fellow sailor Petty Officer 3rd Class Sarina Ghirarduzzi.

They giggled at some parts and fell silent when Horton frantically searched for the missing flower containing his lost friends.

“On through the afternoon, hour after hour — ‘til he found them at last,” Bledsue read aloud to the children. “On the three millionth flower! ‘My friends,’ cried the elephant. ‘Tell me! Do tell! Are you safe? Are you sound? Are you whole? Are you well?’”

Bledsue and Ghirarduzzi were among about 10 sailors at Oakland Elementary School on Tuesday for “Read Across America Day.” More than 100 were reading in all 11 elementary schools in Suffolk.

The annual reading program is typically celebrated on March 2 in honor of the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. But this year, Chief Petty Officer Shawn Wingle, stationed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in Norfolk, contacted Oakland Elementary in January about bringing sailors to read to their students and answer questions about being in the Navy. They were also joined at Oakland Elementary by Suffolk Public Schools administrators and other guest readers.

The elementary school was one of 79 throughout Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Suffolk to be visited by the Navy on Tuesday.

“Our goal is to get out there and show the kids that reading is important,” said Chief Petty Officer Christopher Lenart. “Sometimes kids get the perception that reading is not cool, but it’s the foundation of learning.”

Sailors brought “Cat in the Hat,” “If I Ran The Zoo” and other Seuss classics to elementary school classrooms filled with fans.

“They love Dr. Seuss,” said first-grade teacher Kaye Jefferson. “They’ve been talking about Dr. Seuss since kindergarten.”

Chief Petty Officer Eric Walker is no rookie at making reading fun for children, since he does it at home with five children.

“My youngest is 2 years old, and he likes to read stories with monster trucks and cars,” Walker said.

The uniformed service men and women seemed to liven up the kids’ Tuesday morning.

“They are just so mesmerized to see the sailors come in their uniforms and read to them,” Library Media Specialist Michele Waggoner said.

Bledsue and Ghirarduzzi’s kindergarten listeners gladly raised their hands when asked about their favorite parts in “Horton Hears a Who.”

“I like when Horton finds the pink flower, because he kept searching for it for a long time and it was kind of funny,” said kindergartner Naomi Milota, 6.

Sailors at the school explained to students how being nerdy was a good thing, whether it’s getting better at reading or handling responsibilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“Working in computers and electronics is just as important as everything else on the ship, and it shows these kids that being a nerd is cool and has a lot of impact,” Bledsue said.

“It’s empowering,” Ghirarduzzi added.

The students also got to ask the sailors all sorts of questions, querying them on their jobs in the Navy, how they sleep on the ship and if they get to play video games.

“It’s fun to hear all their questions about our lives,” Ghirarduzzi said.

The men and women in uniform were able to introduce new career opportunities to kids who could potentially serve one day, especially since they got to see that there were people behind the medals and ribbons.

“They get to ask us about all kinds of things, not just about being in the military,” Walker said. “It gives them a human aspect and not just what they see on television.”

In kindergarten teacher Jen Britt’s classroom, Bledsue and Ghirarduzzi led students in a chorus of “yopp, yopp and yopp” as the story’s “Who” people were saved in the book’s last pages of rhymes.

“From now on, I’m going to protect them with you,” Bledsue read. “And the young kangaroo in her pouch said, ‘me, too!’”