The 30th annual Fleet Week is underway, which means thousands of men and women serving in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have descended on New York City for diving demos, ship tours . . . and story time.

At the Red Hook branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Thursday, a pair of sailors stationed on the USS Mitscher regaled a group of children not with tales of battle or seafaring, but rather, the Dr. Seuss ditty, If I Ran the Circus.

Fire Controlman Bryan Keenan, 38, was especially well suited to the task—four years ago, he joined the Navy after a career as a kindergarten teacher in Philadelphia.

"It's something I had always wanted to do," Keenan told WNYC about his decision to enlist. "And I was getting old, so it was kind of my last chance to do it. And teaching is hard. It's really, really hard."

Gulianna Dunn, a mass communication specialist in the Navy Reserve, said Fleet Week is a great way to showcase what the military is about. "We're not just war-fighters. We don't just go to the desert," Dunn told WNYC. "We do a lot of humanitarian projects. We have a lot of different things we can do to help people."

Of course, Fleet Week also offers a chance for sailors to enjoy New York City. During story time, one young boy pointed to a photo on the wall of a festive Red Hook establishment.

"Brooklyn Crab," Keenan remarked between Dr. Seuss lines. "That's where I'm going tonight."