Theodor Suess Geisel "Dr. Seuss"
Children's Author
1904-1991
-Theodor Suess Geisel
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, MA. After attending Datrtmouth College he began a career in advertising. In 1936 on the way to a vaction in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat, which went on to instant success.
Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. And in the process, he helped them to read. Dr. Seuss made reading fun by combining engaging stories, outrageous illustrations, and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills. Dr. Seuss became president of the Beginner Books division and remained with Random House for the rest of his career.
Dr. Seuss's magic survived his death in 1991. He continues to be the world's best-selling children's book author, and his characters, including the irrepressible Cat in the Hat, are considered among the most influential "media" personalities in young children's lives.
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