Dr. Seuss books improperly stowed arrive after order made 20 years ago

ORLANDO, Fla. — A surprise 20 years in the making.

And a gift 20 years overdue.

Channel 9’s Field Sutton met a great-grandmother from Orlando who turned the post office’s mistake into her own unexpected opportunity.

Rewind 20 years to an ad for books in the mail—and a grandmother, with a smile and an eye for a sale.

“I ordered some Dr. Seuss books for my granddaughter, and they never came,” said Vera Walker.

A box that would not, could not get here.

Not in a car, not in a year.

Twenty times over, it failed to show.

Until one day, it was ready to go.

“And when I opened it up and saw the date, it was October 1998,” said Walker. “And then I just screamed.”

How and why is certainly weird. Inside an old mailbox is where it appeared. A mystery that just goes to show, there’s truth in “Oh the Places You’ll Go.”

Just like the books was the grandmother’s ride

She rode to Texas, to sit with her grandson by her side.

“Hello called the lady bird, smiling her best. You’ve nothing to do and I do need a rest,” read Walker.

Timeless, at 20, the books have survived.

Bought for a girl at 4 with a son now almost 5.

Perhaps he’ll start with just a little bit. Little words like “if” and “it.”

So one day, he’ll be able to read big words too—like Constantinople and Timbuktu.

“He loves Dr. Seuss books,” said Walker.

That is a story that no one can beat.

And to think it happened on Mulberry Street.

“It’s so hard to believe,” she said.

Cox Media Group