Hearts melt when Dale Earnhardt Jr. shows up at school to read Dr. Seuss

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. won hearts on social media Friday when he paid a surprise visit to a school in Blountville, Tennessee.

And he wasn’t there to talk about NASCAR or racing.

TV station WJHL says he showed up to sit in an overstuffed chair and read the Dr. Seuss’ book “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” The visit to Blountville Elementary was part of Dollar General’s Reading Revolution initiative, and it included a $50,000 check to support the school’s literacy program.

Earnhardt’s four minute reading of the book included imitations of a rooster, a cow, a bee and a train. Earnhardt also made an admission: “I love Dr. Seuss.”

WJHL live streamed the reading on Facebook, showing Earnhardt in a hooded sweat shirt, tennis shoes and, of course, a ball cap.

His surprise visit preceded a race at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway, which Earnhardt called “a very fun race track.”

The internet gushed with love for the fatherly gesture.

“Dale Jr. is an outstanding driver, person, husband, and will be a great and wonderful father,” wrote Vickie Bellamy on Facebook.

“They will remember this forever,” posted Julie Seale.

“He's getting softer in his older years. Glad to see,” posted Brenda Harrison.

Earnhardt did something similar last October, when he read to a group of students at Stemley Road Elementary in Talladega.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Hearts melt when Dale Earnhardt Jr. shows up at school to read Dr. Seuss."