Seuss Books

Theodor Geisel, better known by his pen name of Dr Seuss, is a national treasure in the United States and a part of most people’s childhood. He wrote and illustrated dozens of children’s books over his long career. Some of those Seuss books have become classics of children’s literature. In addition to being fun for adults and children alike, they are also helpful in teaching the very young to read.

Seuss was born in 1904 in Massachusetts to parents who wished for him to become a doctor. That ambition was derailed when he became more interested in his writing and cartoons. Newspapers and magazines accepted his illustrations and funny articles. During the depression, Seuss made ends meet for himself and his wife by drawing advertisements for major companies. By the time World War II began, there were four Seuss books published for children. During the war, Seuss contributed political cartoons to a left wing newspaper and wrote propaganda films on behalf of the US armed forces and war effort.

The 1950s were very productive for the writer and he produced many of the Seuss books that are considered to be classics. How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat were both published in 1957 and Green Eggs and Ham finished the decade. The Cat in the Hat came about when his publisher asked Seuss to write something to help with the level of illiteracy in the country, which was of concern at the time. This book was designed for children learning to read and Seuss followed with more books that used a basic vocabulary. The difference between these books and others in the market was that Seuss wrote stories and characters that engaged his young audience, making it easier for them to learn. He also wrote for an older target audience, with a more mature grasp of language.

The Dr Seuss style is well known and affectionate parodies have been made. The text is in rhyme, using a strict meter, the artwork is distinct and the characters are somewhat eccentric. Seuss books are timeless, will never go out of fashion and will serve future generations to come. Seuss died from cancer in 1991, aged 87 years old. His birthplace of Springfield honored him in 2002 with the opening of the Dr Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, which displays sculptures of the writer and some of his famous characters.

There have been many adaptations of the books over the years, including TV cartoons, audio cassettes and Hollywood movies. Two live action films were shown recently, How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey and The Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers.