Melania Trump reads to sick kids, marking her first public solo engagement as FLOTUS The outing marked her first solo engagement as first lady.

 -- Melania Trump visited the pediatric wing of a Manhattan hospital Thursday, marking her first public solo engagement as first lady.

In a nod to National Read Across America Day and in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, Trump read the late author's book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" to a group of sick children in a playroom at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

"We will read some books today," Trump told the children. "So do you know what is today? It's a reading day. So I came to encourage you to read -- and to think about what you want to achieve in life."

Holding up a copy of "Oh, the Places You'll Go!," she said, "this is one of my favorite books. This is one from my library."

When Trump got to a passage in the book about a "slump," she looked at the children and said, "So sometimes you don't feel good, right? But then, what do you do?"

A hush fell over the room.

"You go places where you feel better," she told them.

When Trump was finished reading the book, she looked at the children and said, "Do you like the book? I will leave it here." One girl held up her hand, and Trump gave her the book. "I encourage you all to read a lot -– to get educated."