"Theo Geisel" and "Ted Geisel" redirect here. For the physicist, seeTheo Geisel (physicist).
"Seuss" and "Doctor Seuss" redirect here. For people with the surname Seuss, seeSeuss (surname). For people with the surname Suess, seeSuess (disambiguation).
listen);[2][3][4]March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991)[5]was an American children's author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker. He is known for his work writing and illustratingmore than 60books under thepen nameDr. Seuss(/suːs,zuːs/,[4][6]). His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.[7]
Geisel was born and raised inSpringfield, Massachusetts, the son of Henrietta (néeSeuss) and Theodor Robert Geisel.[9][10]His father managed the family brewery and was later appointed to supervise Springfield's public park system by MayorJohn A. Denison[11]after the brewery closed because ofProhibition.[12]Mulberry Streetin Springfield, made famous in his first children's bookAnd to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, is near his boyhood home on Fairfield Street.[13]The family was of German descent, and Geisel and his sister Marnie experienced anti-German prejudice from other children following the outbreak of World War I in 1914.[14]
Geisel attendedDartmouth College, graduating in 1925.[15]At Dartmouth, he joined theSigma Phi Epsilonfraternity[9]and the humor magazineDartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, eventually rising to the rank of editor-in-chief.[9]While at Dartmouth, he was caught drinkingginwith nine friends in his room.[16]At the time, the possession and consumption of alcohol was illegal under Prohibition laws, which remained in place between 1920 and 1933. As a result of this infraction, DeanCraven Laycockinsisted that Geisel resign from all extracurricular activities, including theJack-O-Lantern.[17]To continue working on the magazine without the administration's knowledge, Geisel began signing his work with the pen name "Seuss". He was encouraged in his writing by professor of rhetoric W. Benfield Pressey, whom he described as his "big inspiration for writing" at Dartmouth.[18]
Upon graduating from Dartmouth, he enteredLincoln College, Oxford, intending to earn aD.Phil.in English literature.[19][20]At Oxford, he metHelen Palmer, who encouraged him to give up becoming an English teacher in favor of pursuing drawing as a career.[19]She later recalled that "Ted's notebooks were always filled with these fabulous animals. So I set to work diverting him; here was a man who could draw such pictures; he should be earning a living doing that."[19]
Early career
Geisel left Oxford without earning a degree and returned to the United States in February 1927,[21]where he immediately began submitting writings and drawings to magazines, book publishers, and advertising agencies.[22]Making use of his time in Europe, he pitched a series of cartoons calledEminent EuropeanstoLifemagazine, but the magazine passed on it. His first nationally published cartoon appeared in the July 16, 1927, issue ofThe Saturday Evening Post. This single $25 sale encouraged Geisel to move from Springfield to New York City.[23]Later that year, Geisel accepted a job as writer and illustrator at the humor magazineJudge, and he felt financially stable enough to marry Helen.[24]His first cartoon forJudgeappeared on October 22, 1927, and the Geisels were married on November 29. Geisel's first work signed "Dr. Seuss" was published inJudgeabout six months after he started working there.[25]
In early 1928, one of Geisel's cartoons forJudgementionedFlit, a common bug spray at the time manufactured byStandard Oil of New Jersey.[26]According to Geisel, the wife of an advertising executive in charge of advertising Flit saw Geisel's cartoon at a hairdresser's and urged her husband to sign him.[27]Geisel's first Flit ad appeared on May 31, 1928, and the campaign continued sporadically until 1941. The campaign's catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" became a part of popular culture. It spawned a song and was used as a punch line for comedians such asFred AllenandJack Benny. As Geisel gained notoriety for the Flit campaign, his work was in demand and began to appear regularly in magazines such asLife,Liberty, andVanity Fair.[28]
The money Geisel earned from his advertising work and magazine submissions made him wealthier than even his most successful Dartmouth classmates.[28]The increased income allowed the Geisels to move to better quarters and to socialize in higher social circles.[29]They became friends with the wealthy family of bankerFrank A. Vanderlip. They also traveled extensively: by 1936, Geisel and his wife had visited 30 countries together. They did not have children, neither kept regular office hours, and they had ample money. Geisel also felt that traveling helped his creativity.[30]
Geisel's success with the Flit campaign led to more advertising work, including for other Standard Oil products like Essomarine boat fuel and Essolube Motor Oil and for other companies like theFord Motor Company,NBC Radio Network, and Holly Sugar.[31]His first foray into books,Boners, a collection of children's sayings that he illustrated, was published byViking Pressin 1931. It toppedThe New York Timesnon-fiction bestseller list and led to a sequel,More Boners, published the same year. Encouraged by the books' sales and positive critical reception, Geisel wrote and illustrated anABC bookfeaturing "very strange animals" that failed to interest publishers.[32]
In 1936, Geisel and his wife were returning from an ocean voyage to Europe when the rhythm of the ship's engines inspired the poem that became his first children's book:And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.[33]Based on Geisel's varied accounts, the book was rejected by between 20 and 43 publishers.[34][35]According to Geisel, he was walking home to burn the manuscript when a chance encounter with an old Dartmouth classmate led to its publication byVanguard Press.[36]Geisel wrote four more books before the US entered World War II. This includedThe 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbinsin 1938, as well asThe King's StiltsandThe Seven Lady Godivasin 1939, all of which were in prose, atypically for him. This was followed byHorton Hatches the Eggin 1940, in which Geisel returned to the use of poetry.
World War II–era work
"The Goldbrick", Private Snafu episode written by Geisel, 1943
As World War II began, Geisel turned to political cartoons, drawing over 400 in two years as editorial cartoonist for the left-leaning New York City daily newspaper,PM.[37]Geisel's political cartoons, later published inDr. Seuss Goes to War, denouncedHitlerandMussoliniand were highly critical of non-interventionists ("isolationists"), most notablyCharles Lindbergh, who opposed US entry into the war.[38]One cartoon[39]depictedJapanese Americansbeing handed TNT after a "call from home", while other cartoons deplored the racism at home againstJewsand blacks that harmed the war effort.[40][41]His cartoons were strongly supportive ofPresident Roosevelt's handling of the war, combining the usual exhortations to ration and contribute to the war effort with frequent attacks on Congress[42](especially theRepublican Party),[43]parts of the press (such as theNew York Daily News,Chicago Tribune, andWashington Times-Herald),[44]and others for criticism of Roosevelt, criticism of aid to the Soviet Union,[45][46]investigation of suspected Communists,[47]and other offences that he depicted as leading to disunity and helping the Nazis, intentionally or inadvertently.
After the war, Geisel and his wife moved toLa Jolla, California, where he returned to writing children's books. He published most of his books throughRandom Housein North America andWilliam Collins, Sons(laterHarperCollins) internationally. He wrote many, including such favorites asIf I Ran the Zoo(1950),Horton Hears a Who!(1955),If I Ran the Circus(1956),The Cat in the Hat(1957),How the Grinch Stole Christmas!(1957), andGreen Eggs and Ham(1960). He received numerous awards throughout his career, but he won neither theCaldecott Medalnor theNewbery Medal. Three of his titles from this period were, however, chosen as Caldecott runners-up (now referred to as Caldecott Honor books):McElligot's Pool(1947),Bartholomew and the Oobleck(1949), andIf I Ran the Zoo(1950). Dr. Seuss also wrote themusicalandfantasy filmThe 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., which was released in 1953. The movie was a critical and financial failure, and Geisel never attempted another feature film. During the 1950s, he also published a number of illustrated short stories, mostly inRedbookMagazine. Some of these were later collected (in volumes such asThe Sneetches and Other Stories) or reworked into independent books (If I Ran the Zoo). A number have never been reprinted since their original appearances.
In May 1954,Lifemagazine published a report onilliteracyamong school children which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. William Ellsworth Spaulding was the director of the education division atHoughton Mifflin(he later became its chairman), and he compiled a list of 348 words that he felt were important for first-graders to recognize. He asked Geisel to cut the list to 250 words and to write a book using only those words.[51]Spaulding challenged Geisel to "bring back a book children can't put down".[52]Nine months later, Geisel completedThe Cat in the Hat, using 236 of the words given to him. It retained the drawing style, verse rhythms, and all the imaginative power of Geisel's earlier works but, because of its simplified vocabulary, it could be read by beginning readers.The Cat in the Hatand subsequent books written for young children achieved significant international success and they remain very popular today. For example, in 2009,Green Eggs and Hamsold 540,000 copies,The Cat in the Hatsold 452,000 copies, andOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish(1960) sold 409,000 copies — all outselling the majority of newly published children's books.[53]
Geisel went on to write many other children's books, both in his new simplified-vocabulary manner (sold asBeginner Books) and in his older, more elaborate style.
In 1956, Dartmouth awarded Geisel with an honorary doctorate, finally legitimizing the "Dr." in his pen name.
On April 28, 1958, Geisel appeared on an episode of the panel game showTo Tell the Truth.[54]
Geisel's wife Helen had a long struggle with illnesses. On October 23, 1967, Helen died by suicide; Geisel married Audrey Dimond on June 21, 1968.[55]Although he devoted most of his life to writing children's books, Geisel had no children of his own, saying of children: "You have 'em; I'll entertain 'em."[55]Dimond added that Geisel "lived his whole life without children and he was very happy without children."[55]Audrey oversaw Geisel's estate until her death on December 19, 2018, at the age of 97.[56]
Geisel died ofcanceron September 24, 1991, at his home inLa Jolla, California, at the age of 87.[19][60]His ashes were scattered in thePacific Ocean. On December 1, 1995, four years after his death,University of California, San Diego's University Library Building was renamedGeisel Libraryin honor of Geisel and Audrey for the generous contributions that they made to the library and their devotion to improving literacy.[61]
In 2004, U.S. children's librarians established the annualTheodor Seuss Geisel Awardto recognize "the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year". It should "demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading" frompre-kindergartentosecond grade.[64]
At Geisel's alma mater of Dartmouth, more than 90 percent of incoming first-year students participate in pre-matriculation trips run by theDartmouth Outing Clubinto the New Hampshire wilderness. It is traditional for students returning from the trips to stay overnight at Dartmouth'sMoosilauke Ravine Lodge, where they are served green eggs for breakfast. On April 4, 2012, the Dartmouth Medical School was renamed theAudrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicinein honor of their many years of generosity to the college.[65]
Geisel's most famous pen name is regularly pronounced/suːs/,[3]ananglicizedpronunciation inconsistent with his German surname (the standard German pronunciation isGerman pronunciation:[ˈzɔʏ̯s]). He himself noted that it rhymed with "voice" (his own pronunciation being/sɔɪs/). Alexander Laing, one of his collaborators on theDartmouth Jack-O-Lantern,[68]wrote of it:
You're wrong as the deuce And you shouldn't rejoice If you're calling him Seuss. He pronounces it Soice[69](or Zoice)[70]
Geisel switched to the anglicized pronunciation because it "evoked a figure advantageous for an author of children's books to be associated with—Mother Goose"[52]and because most people used this pronunciation. He added the "Doctor (abbreviated Dr.)" to his pen name because his father had always wanted him to practice medicine.[71]
For books that Geisel wrote and others illustrated, he used the pen name "Theo LeSieg", starting withI Wish That I Had Duck Feetpublished in 1965. "LeSieg" is "Geisel" spelled backward.[72]Geisel also published one book under the name Rosetta Stone, 1975'sBecause a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!!, a collaboration withMichael K. Frith. Frith and Geisel chose the name in honor of Geisel's second wife Audrey, whose maiden name was Stone.[73]
Geisel was a liberalDemocratand a supporter of PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltand theNew Deal. His early political cartoons show a passionate opposition to fascism, and he urged action against it both before and after the United States entered World War II. His cartoons portrayed the fear of communism as overstated, finding greater threats in theHouse Un-American Activities Committeeand those who threatened to cut the United States' "life line"[46]to Stalin and the USSR, whom he once depicted as aportercarrying "our war load".[45]
Dr. Seuss 1942 cartoon with the caption 'Waiting for the Signal from Home'
But right now, when the Japs are planting their hatchets in our skulls, it seems like a hell of a time for us to smile and warble: "Brothers!" It is a rather flabby battle cry. If we want to win, we've got to kill Japs, whether it depressesJohn Haynes Holmesor not. We can get palsy-walsy afterward with those that are left.[74]
After the war, though, Geisel overcame his feelings of animosity, using his bookHorton Hears a Who!(1954) as anallegoryfor the American post-waroccupation of Japan,[75]as well as dedicating the book to a Japanese friend, though Ron Lamothe noted in an interview that even that book has a sense of "American chauvinism" and doesn't mention theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[76]
In 1948, after living and working in Hollywood for years, Geisel moved to La Jolla, California, a predominantly Republican community.[77]
Geisel converted a copy of one of his famous children's books,Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!, into apolemicshortly before the end of the 1972–1974Watergate scandal, in which United States presidentRichard Nixonresigned, by replacing the name of the main character everywhere that it occurred.[78]"Richard M. Nixon, Will You Please Go Now!" was published in major newspapers through thecolumnof his friendArt Buchwald.[78]
The line "a person's a person, no matterhowsmall!!" fromHorton Hears a Who!has been used widely as a slogan by thepro-lifemovement in the United States. Geisel and later his widow Audrey objected to this use; according to her attorney, "She doesn't like people to hijack Dr. Seuss characters or material to front their own points of view."[79]In the 1980s Geisel threatened to sue an anti-abortion group for using this phrase on their stationery, according to his biographer, causing them to remove it.[80]The attorney says he never discussed abortion with either of them,[79]and the biographer says Geisel never expressed a public opinion on the subject.[80]After Seuss' death, Audrey gave financial support toPlanned Parenthood.[81]
In his books
Geisel made a point of not beginning to write his stories with a moral in mind, stating that "kids can see a moral coming a mile off." He was not against writing about issues, however; he said that "there's an inherent moral in any story",[82]and he remarked that he was "subversive as hell."[83]
Geisel wrote most of his books inanapestic tetrameter, apoetic meteremployed by many poets of the English literary canon. This is often suggested as one of the reasons that Geisel's writing was so well received.[84][85]
Anapestic tetrameter consists of four rhythmic units calledanapests, each composed of two weak syllables followed by one strong syllable (the beat); often, the first weak syllable is omitted, or an additional weak syllable is added at the end. An example of this meter can be found in Geisel's "Yertle the Turtle", fromYertle the Turtle and Other Stories:
And todaythe GreatYertle, thatMarveloushe IsKingof theMud. That isallhe cansee.[86]
Some books by Geisel that are written mainly in anapestic tetrameter also contain many lines written inamphibrachic tetrameterwherein each strong syllable is surrounded by a weak syllable on each side. Here is an example fromIf I Ran the Circus:
Geisel generally maintained trochaic meter for only brief passages, and for longer stretches typically mixed it withiambic tetrameter, which consists of a weak syllable followed by a strong, and is generally considered easier to write. Thus, for example, the magicians inBartholomew and the Oobleckmake their first appearance chanting introchees(thus resembling the witches ofShakespeare'sMacbeth):
Geisel's early artwork often employed the shaded texture of pencil drawings orwatercolors, but in his children's books of the postwar period, he generally made use of a starker medium—pen and ink—normally using just black, white, and one or two colors. His later books, such asThe Lorax,used more colors.
Geisel's style was unique – his figures are often "rounded" and somewhat droopy. This is true, for instance, of the faces ofthe Grinchandthe Cat in the Hat. Almost all his buildings and machinery were devoid of straight lines when they were drawn, even when he was representing real objects. For example,If I Ran the Circusshows a droopy hoisting crane and a droopysteam calliope.
Geisel evidently enjoyed drawing architecturally elaborate objects, and a number of his motifs are identifiable with structures in his childhood home ofSpringfield, including examples such as theonion domesof itsMain Streetand his family's brewery.[88]His endlessly varied but never rectilinear palaces, ramps, platforms, and free-standing stairways are among his most evocative creations. Geisel also drew complex imaginary machines, such as theAudio-Telly-O-Tally-O-Count, fromDr. Seuss's Sleep Book, or the "most peculiar machine" of Sylvester McMonkey McBean inThe Sneetches. Geisel also liked drawing outlandish arrangements of feathers or fur: for example, the 500th hat ofBartholomew Cubbins, the tail ofGertrude McFuzz, and the pet for girls who like to brush and comb, inOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
Geisel's illustrations often convey motion vividly. He was fond of a sort of "voilà" gesture in which the hand flips outward and the fingers spread slightly backward with the thumb up. This motion is done by Ish inOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fishwhen he creates fish (who perform the gesture with their fins), in the introduction of the various acts ofIf I Ran the Circus, and in the introduction of the "Little Cats" inThe Cat in the Hat Comes Back. He was also fond of drawing hands with interlocked fingers, making it look as though his characters were twiddling their thumbs.
Geisel also follows thecartoontradition of showingmotion with lines, like in the sweeping lines that accompany Sneelock's final dive inIf I Ran the Circus. Cartoon lines are also used to illustrate the action of the senses—sight, smell, and hearing—inThe Big Brag,and lines even illustrate "thought", as in the moment when the Grinch conceives his awful plan to ruin Christmas.
Recurring images
Geisel's early work in advertising andeditorial cartooninghelped him to produce "sketches" of things that received more perfect realization later in his children's books. Often, the expressive use to which Geisel put an image, later on, was quite different from the original.[89]Here are some examples:
An editorial cartoon from July 16, 1941[90]depicts a whale resting on the top of a mountain as aparodyof Americanisolationists, especiallyCharles Lindbergh. This was later rendered (with no apparent political content) as the Wumbus ofOn Beyond Zebra(1955). Seussian whales (cheerful and balloon-shaped, with long eyelashes) also occur inMcElligot's Pool,If I Ran the Circus, and other books.
Another editorial cartoon from 1941[91]shows a long cow with many legs and udders representing the conquered nations of Europe being milked byAdolf Hitler. This later became the Umbus ofOn Beyond Zebra.
The tower of turtles in a 1942 editorial cartoon[92]prefigures a similar tower inYertle the Turtle. This theme also appeared in aJudgecartoon as one letter of a hieroglyphic message, and in Geisel's short-lived comic stripHejji. Geisel once stated that Yertle the Turtle was Adolf Hitler.[93]
Little cats A, B, and C (as well as the rest of the alphabet) who spring from each other's hats appeared in aFord Motor Companyad.
The connected beards inDid I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?appear frequently in Geisel's work, most notably inHejji, which featured two goats joined at the beard,The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., which featured two roller-skating guards joined at the beard, and a political cartoon in whichNazismand theAmerica First movementare portrayed as "the men with the Siamese Beard".
Geisel's earliest elephants were for advertising and had somewhat wrinkly ears, much as real elephants do.[94]WithAnd to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street!(1937) andHorton Hatches the Egg(1940), the ears became more stylized, somewhat likeangelwings and thus appropriate to the saintly Horton. During World War II, the elephant image appeared as an emblem for India in four editorial cartoons.[95]Horton and similar elephants appear frequently in the postwar children's books.
While drawing advertisements forFLIT, Geisel became adept at drawing insects with huge stingers,[96]shaped like a gentle S-curve and with a sharp end that included a rearward-pointing barb on its lower side. Their facial expressions depict gleeful malevolence. These insects were later rendered in an editorial cartoon as a swarm of Allied aircraft[97](1942), and again as the Sneedle ofOn Beyond Zebra, and yet again as the Skritz inI Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew.
There are many examples of creatures who arrange themselves in repeating patterns, such as the "Two and fro walkers, who march in five layers", and the Through-Horns Jumping Deer inIf I Ran the Circus, and the arrangement of birds which the protagonist ofOh, the Places You'll Go!walks through, as the narrator admonishes him to "... always be dexterous and deft, and never mix up your right foot with your left."
Geisel wrote more than 60 books over the course of his long career. Most were published under his well-known pseudonym Dr. Seuss, though he also authored more than a dozen books as Theo LeSieg and one as Rosetta Stone. His books have topped many bestseller lists, sold over 600 million copies, and been translated into more than 20 languages.[7]In 2000,Publishers Weeklycompiled a list of thebest-selling children's booksof all time; of the top 100 hardcover books, 16 were written by Geisel, includingGreen Eggs and Ham, at number 4,The Cat in the Hat, at number 9, andOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, at number 13.[98]In the years after his death in 1991, two additional books were published based on his sketches and notes:Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!andDaisy-Head Mayzie.My Many Colored Dayswas originally written in 1973 but was posthumously published in 1996. In September 2011, seven stories originally published in magazines during the 1950s were released in a collection titledThe Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories.[99]
Geisel also wrote a pair of books for adults:The Seven Lady Godivas(1939; reprinted 1987), a retelling of theLady Godivalegend that included nude depictions; andYou're Only Old Once!(written in 1986 when Geisel was 82), which chronicles anold man's journey through a clinic. His last book wasOh, the Places You'll Go!, which was published the year before his death and became a popular gift for graduating students.[100]
For most of his career, Geisel was reluctant to have his characters marketed in contexts outside of his own books. However, he did permit the creation of several animated cartoons, an art form in which he had gained experience during World War II, and he gradually relaxed his policy as he aged.
The first adaptation of one of Geisel's works was a cartoon version ofHorton Hatches the Egg, animated atWarner Bros.in 1942 and directed byBob Clampett. It was presented as part of theMerrie Melodiesseries and included a number of gags not present in the original narrative, including a fish committing suicide and aKatharine Hepburnimitation by Mayzie.
In 1959, Geisel authorizedRevell, the well-known plastic model-making company, to make a series of "animals" that snapped together rather than being glued together, and could be assembled, disassembled, and re-assembled "in thousands" of ways. The series was called the "Dr. Seuss Zoo" and included Gowdy the Dowdy Grackle, Norval the Bashful Blinket, Tingo the Noodle Topped Stroodle, and Roscoe the Many Footed Lion. The basic body parts were the same and all were interchangeable, and so it was possible for children to combine parts from various characters in essentially unlimited ways in creating their own animal characters (Revell encouraged this by selling Gowdy, Norval, and Tingo together in a "Gift Set" as well as individually). Revell also made a conventional glue-together "beginner's kit" of The Cat in the Hat.
In 1966, Geisel authorized eminent cartoon artistChuck Jones – his friend and former colleague from the war – to make a cartoon version ofHow the Grinch Stole Christmas!Geisel was credited as a co-producer under his real name Ted Geisel, along with Jones. The cartoon was narrated byBoris Karloff, who also provided the voice of the Grinch. It was very faithful to the original book and is considered a classic to this day by many. It is often broadcast as an annualChristmas television special. Jones directed an adaptation ofHorton Hears a Who!in 1970 and produced an adaptation ofThe Cat in the Hatin 1971.
A Sovietpaint-on-glass-animatedshort film was made in 1986 calledWelcome, an adaptation ofThidwick the Big-Hearted Moose. The last adaptation of Geisel's work before he died wasThe Butter Battle Book, a television special based on the book of the same name, directed byRalph Bakshi.
A television film titledIn Search of Dr. Seusswas released in 1994, which adapted many of Seuss's stories. It uses both live-action versions and animated versions of the characters and stories featured; however, the animated portions were merely edited versions of previous animated television specials and, in some cases, re-dubbed as well.
After Geisel died of cancer at the age of 87 in 1991, his widow Audrey Geisel was placed in charge of all licensing matters. She approved a live-action feature-film version ofHow the Grinch Stole ChristmasstarringJim Carrey, as well as a Seuss-themedBroadway musicalcalledSeussical, and both premiered in 2000.The Grinchhas had limited engagement runs on Broadway during the Christmas season, after premiering in 1998 (under the titleHow the Grinch Stole Christmas) at theOld Globe Theatrein San Diego, where it has become a Christmas tradition. In 2003, another live-action film was released, this time an adaptation ofThe Cat in the Hatthat featuredMike Myersas the title character. Audrey Geisel spoke critically of the film, especially the casting of Myers as the Cat in the Hat, and stated that she would not allow any further live-action adaptations of Geisel's books.[108]However, a first animatedCGIfeature film adaptation ofHorton Hears a Who!was approved, and was eventually released on March 14, 2008, to positive reviews. A second CGI-animated feature film adaptation ofThe Loraxwas released byUniversalon March 2, 2012 (on what would have been Seuss's 108th birthday). The third adaptation of Seuss' story, the CGI-animated feature film,The Grinch, was released byUniversalon November 9, 2018.
^How to Mispronounce “Dr. Seuss”It is true that the middle name of Theodor Geisel — “Seuss,” which was also his mother's maiden name — was pronounced “Zoice” by the family, and by Theodor Geisel himself. So, if you are pronouncing his full given name, saying “Zoice” instead of “Soose” would not be wrong. You'd have to explain the pronunciation to your listener, but you would be pronouncing it as the family did.
^Seuss, Geisel (2005). "Dr. Seuss Biography". In Taylor, Constance (ed.).Theodor Seuss Geisel The Early Works of Dr. Seuss.1. Miamisburg, OH: Checker Book Publishing Group. p. 6.ISBN978-1-933160-01-6.
^Nel, Philip (2007). "Children's Literature Goes to War: Dr. Seuss, P. D. Eastman, Munro Leaf, and the Private SNAFU Films (1943–46)".The Journal of Popular Culture.40(3): 478.doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00404.x.ISSN1540-5931.For example, Seuss’s support of civil rights for African Americans appears prominently in the PM cartoons he created before joining ‘‘Fort Fox.’’
^Mandeville Special Collections Library."Congress".Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. UC San Diego. Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2012. RetrievedApril 10,2012.
^Mandeville Special Collections Library."Republican Party".Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. UC San Diego. Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2012. RetrievedApril 10,2012.
^Jump up to:abMandeville Special Collections Library."February 19".Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. UC San Diego. Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2012. RetrievedApril 10,2012.
^Jump up to:abMandeville Special Collections Library."March 11".Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. UC San Diego. Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2012. RetrievedApril 10,2012.
^Bunzel, Peter (April 6, 1959). "The Wacky World of Dr. Seuss Delights the Child—and Adult—Readers of His Books".Life. Chicago: Time Inc.ISSN0024-3019.OCLC1643958.Most of Geisel's books point a moral, though he insists that he never starts with one. 'Kids,' he says, 'can see a moral coming a mile off and they gag at it. But there's an inherent moral in any story.'
^Mensch, Betty; Freeman, Alan (1987). "Getting to Solla Sollew: The Existentialist Politics of Dr. Seuss".Tikkun: 30.In opposition to the conventional—indeed, hegemonic—iambic voice, his metric triplets offer the power of a more primal chant that quickly draws the reader in with relentless repetition.
Fensch, Thomas (ed.) (1997).Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss: Essays on the Writings and Life of Theodor Geisel.McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0-7864-0388-2.
Geisel, Theodor (2001). Minnear, Richard (ed.).Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel.New Press.ISBN978-1-56584-704-0.
Lamothe, Ron(2004).The Political Dr. Seuss(DVD). Terra Incognita Films. Archived fromthe originalon December 26, 2008. RetrievedJanuary 3,2009.Documentary aired on the Public Television System.