On March 2nd 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children’s books as “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother’s maiden name) as his pen name, wrote 48 books, including some for adults, that have sold well over 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr Seuss books are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which have names like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Hooterville.
Geisel graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was editor of the school’s humour magazine, and studied at Oxford University. There he met Helen Palmer, his first wife and the person who encouraged him to become a professional illustrator. Back in America, Geisel worked as a cartoonist for a variety of magazines and in advertising.
The first children’s book that Geisel wrote and illustrated, “And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” was rejected by over two dozen publishers before making it into print in 1937. Geisel’s first bestseller, “The Cat in the Hat,” was published in 1957. The story of a mischievous cat in a tall striped hat came about after his publisher asked him to produce a book using 220 new-reader vocabulary words that could serve as an entertaining alternative to the school reading primers children found boring.
Other Dr Seuss classics include “Yertle the Turtle,” “If I Ran the Circus,” “Fox in Socks” and “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”
Some Dr Seuss books tackled serious themes. “The Butter Battle Book” (1984) was about the arms build up and nuclear war threat during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. “Lorax” (1971) dealt with the environment.
Many Dr Seuss books have been adapted for television and film, including “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and “Horton Hears a Who!” In 1990, Geisel published a book for adults titled “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” that became a hugely popular graduation gift for high school and college students.
Geisel, who lived and worked in an old observatory in La Jolla, California, known as “The Tower,” died September 24, 1991, at age 87.
Craig Hill Media and Consulting 
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.”
Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Posted by Dugutigui | March 2, 2012, 00:45I have used that for my uni classes in China 🙂
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:17A good one! 🙂
Posted by Dugutigui | March 2, 2012, 07:20Thought you might finds this interesting Craig http://books-authors.factoidz.com/dr-seuss-the-greatest-childrens-writer-ever-known/ have a great day….Jaz
Posted by jazfagan | March 4, 2012, 04:27Thanks for the link. I have read it, and hope others do as well.
Posted by Craig Hill | March 4, 2012, 08:46Thanks for stopping by my Post today. And thanks for the heads-up regarding the good doctor’s birthday tomorrow! I will prepare green eggs & ham for breakfast! :0)
Posted by T Hollis | March 2, 2012, 01:24Yeah, um… Sounds nice. Green eggs are really edible?
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:26I personally am looking forward to seeing the Lorax
Posted by Beth, just being me | March 2, 2012, 04:41Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:39Hi,
Great books, a very talented writer, and very interesting history. Thanks for the info. 😀
Posted by magsx2 | March 2, 2012, 04:50Why, thank you… oh, you meant the good Dr…
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:18Rest in Whoville, Doc!
Posted by Marc Phillippe Babineau | March 2, 2012, 04:55Amen to that
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:18Thanks for a little bit of history. Enjoyed it.
Posted by Waldo "Wally" Tomosky | March 2, 2012, 05:19You are welcome. Thank you for reading.
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 07:19Nice one Craig, and thanks for following/liking my blog posts too! How ’bout an article about Edward Gorey? I read The Insect God, just before I left Canada.
Posted by Roy | March 2, 2012, 08:32Sorry. Only do requests at karaoke about midnight 🙂
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 08:55The good doctor railed against isolationists who tied to keep the US from confronting the Axis and their expansionist miitarism. Some great cartoons back in the day.
Posted by eideard | March 2, 2012, 08:49I’ll have to have a look at that. Thanks 🙂
Posted by Craig Hill | March 2, 2012, 08:57