Saturday, March 3, 2012

Dr. Seuss: His Life and Legacy

Dr. Seuss is still one of my favorite children’s authors. I revel in his storytelling, use of rhyme, and engaging illustrations. As a kid, he made me want to pick up a book and read it. Even as an adult, I’m prone to pick up one of his books just for pure enjoyment or to quote lines from his stories to use in my presentations or on social media. His stories are long lasting and continue to give us guidance on reading, learning, education, and human issues.

For Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I decided to read more about who he was from the book, Who Was Dr. Seuss?, by Janet Pascal. This is what I learned:

• Seuss is Dr. Seuss’ middle name. His birth name is Theodor Seuss Geisel.

• Dr. Seuss learned verse and rhyme from his mom’s pie poems. (She owned a bakery and used poetry to remember her recipes.)

• Dr. Seuss’ favorite class in school was English. His classmates got a kick out of his stories and drawings.

• Dr. Seuss used networking as a tool to his advantage. His connections from his alma mater, Dartmouth, and his ability to forge relationships assisted in his success. Timing was essential too.

• Dr. Seuss illustrated ad campaigns and stories before he became an official writer. He learned that he could make more money doing both as the writer and illustrator.

• Dr. Seuss briefly worked in the film industry and won two Oscars.

• After delving into the newspaper, advertising, and film industries, Dr. Seuss decided that writing children’s books was most important to him. He noted, “The new generations must grow up to be more intelligent than ours.”

• Dr. Seuss became a “real” doctor when he received an honorary degree from Dartmouth. He was glad to make it official.

• Dr. Seuss wanted books to be fun, not dull. So he wrote The Cat in the Hat because cat and hat rhymed, and the kids loved it! Green Eggs and Ham derived from a bet. The challenge was to make the story just 50 words, and he did it!

• Dr. Seuss also wrote books on human issues and concerns. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories discusses bullying and standing up for oneself. Sneetches and Other Stories talks about civil rights in the 1960s and accepting differences. The Lorax focuses on the environment and the “natural” world (the movie is showing now). My favorite, Oh, The Places You’ll Go, describes the adventures and challenges of life.

• Dr. Seuss was the first to receive the Pulitzer Prize as a children’s author for his contribution in children's literature.

I thank and honor Dr. Seuss on his accomplishments and achievements, and for doing it all “his” way (which at times were considered different and unacceptable). He kept pressing through to reach his goals, and he listened to the core of his being in proceeding ahead. For me, that’s inspiring! I hope it is for you too.