Who is THE ABC'S OF DR. SEUSS

Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel:
A Biography

In doing research about my favorite author, Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss), and his life; I spent much time in my local library. I love libraries! Every once in awhile I found books that I could not have devoured the way I needed and wanted to, unless they would have let me sleep over. Therefore I found one book that I had to buy: Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel, a Biography by Judity & Neil Morgan. This is a book that any Seussaphile needs to have in their own home library.

"Are they really only six?" asked Dr. Seuss. The colored chalk broke in his nervous hands. The children laughed. "Now, children," said Mrs. Snipe. "What day is it today?" The children shouted back: "October 12th." Mrs. Stripe smiled and said: "Well, children, we all know what day that is, don't we? Don't we, Dr. Seuss?" Everyone waited. Dr. Seuss admitted he didn't know what day it was. "It's the day Christopher Columbus discovered America," the children chorused. Dr. Seuss said: "Oh, him, he's my uncle." "No," the children shouted back, <"he did it in 1492."...... Overwhelmed, Dr. Seuss asked to see the five year olds.... page 177.

Dr. Seuss Goes to War:
The World War II Editorial Carttons of Theodor Seuss Geisel

As World War II began, Geisel turned to political cartoons, drawing over 400 in two years as editorial cartoonist for the left-wing New York City daily newspaper, PM. Geisel's political cartoons, later published in Dr. Seuss Goes to War, opposed the viciousness of Hitler and Mussolini and were highly critical of isolationists, most notably Charles Lindbergh, who opposed American entry into the war. One cartoon[6] depicted all Japanese Americans as latent traitors or fifth-columnists, while at the same time other cartoons deplored the racism at home against Jews and blacks that harmed the war effort. His cartoons were strongly supportive of President Roosevelt's conduct of the war, combining the usual exhortations to ration and contribute to the war effort with frequent attacks on Congress (especially the Republican Party), parts of the press (such as the New York Daily News and Chicago Tribune), and others for criticism of Roosevelt, criticism of aid to the Soviet Union, investigation of suspected Communists, and other offenses that he depicted as leading to disunity and helping the Nazis, intentionally or inadvertently. In 1942, Geisel turned his energies to direct support of the U.S. war effort. First, he worked drawing posters for the Treasury Department and the War Production Board. Then, in 1943, he joined the Army and was commander of the Animation Dept of the First Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Forces, where he wrote films that included Your Job in Germany, a 1945 propaganda film about peace in Europe after World War II, Design for Death, a study of Japanese culture that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1947, and the Private Snafu series of adult army training films. While in the Army, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. Geisel's non-military films from around this time were also well-received; Gerald McBoing-Boing won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Animated) in 1950.

Until I started my lens to tell the world about Me and Dr. Seuss, I had no idea just how far my love would go. I was up on most of the "children's" Seuss books because I read them to my own kids. I also suspected that many of those books were revered more by the adults reading them than by the children listening to them. How did I know that? Because they all went on to read them to their own children.

I also suspect that there are a great number of adults who still have one or more of their favorite Dr. Seuss books in their own library. And I am sure that many include in their collection, "Oh, The Places You Will Go".

But, imagine my surprise and delight to discover that Theodor Seuss Geisel had written a book for real for adults titled The Seven Lady Godivas.

Seven Lady Godivas:
The True Facts Concerning History's Barest Family

Originally published in 1939, Dr. Seuss's first book for adults is now a collector's item. It sells for as much as $500 in the rare book market. Fortunately for us it was reissued "by multitudinous demand"
in 1987. I found my copy on one of my used book store crawls.

"This book sets the record straight about what really happened in eleventh-century Coventry: there was not one Lady Godiva but seven sisters, all equally bare, and not one Peeping Tom, but seven.

With unabashed good humor, Seuss romps through history and engages in a little horseplay along the way as he uncovers the origins of seven celebrated proverbs. Wonderfully wacky and satisfyingly scandalous, this is the perfect fillip for all those who thought they had outgrown Dr. Seuss".

Quoted words from the book's inside dust jacket.

#1. One of Dr. Seuss' greatest achievements was his success at teaching children to read, to love language and to use their imaginations

He always said The Cat in the Hat was "the book I'm proudest of, because it had something to do with the death of the Dick and Jane primers." Not a bad epitaph: He slew Dick and Jane.

#2. It didn't take Dr. Seuss long to get his point across.

The Cat in the Hat was written after he was challenged by an editor to write a book using 250 of the 400 words beginning readers should know. Geisel came close: 220. Three years later, Random House publisher Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write a book using only 50 words.

He could. It was called Green Eggs and Ham.

#3. Some of the most beloved Dr. Seuss books contained messages, expressed in cheeky satire but pointed in a way that children could absorb.

Even before Brown vs. Board of Education, Seuss was teaching tolerance, in Horton Hears a Who! ("A person's a person, no matter how small") and The Sneetches, inspired by his opposition to anti-Semitism ("And, really, it's sort of a shame / For except for those stars, every Sneetch is the same"). He made fun of Hitler and dictators everywhere in Bartholomew and the Oobleck and Yertle the Turtle. He worried about the arms build-up in The Butter Battle Book, gave voice to the environmental movement in The Lorax ("I speak for the trees!") and grumped about the materialism of Christmas in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

"He was a father of political correctness - but the good sort, because he aims to be fun. He had that magic that allowed him to get across his point but not feel like it was a Sunday-school lecture," says Charles Cohen, author of The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss.

The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss

Did he have children himself?
No. He was not particularly fond of spending time with them either. His widow, Audrey, said in a recent interview that he was slightly afraid of them. She said he was always thinking: "What might they do next? What might they ask next?" She added: "He couldn't just sit down on the floor and play with them."

Where did he get his inspiration?

This was a question he hated being asked. His mother was one source of inspiration: she worked in a bakery and would sing him to sleep in his childhood with her "pie-selling chants".
One of his most popular books, Green Eggs and Ham, was the result of a bet that he could not write a book using only 50 words.
These are, in order of appearance: I am Sam; that; do not like; you green eggs and ham; them; would here or there; anywhere; in a house with mouse; eat box fox; car they; could; may will see tree; let me be; train on; say the dark; rain; goat; boat; so try may; if; good; thank.

Pen names and pronunciations

Geisel's pen name is often pronounced /%u02C8su%u02D0s/ or /%u02C8sju%u02D0s/, an anglicized pronunciation common in the U.S. though inconsistent with the German origins /%u02C8z%u0254%u026As/ of his surname; Geisel himself switched to the Americanized pronunication because it "evoked a figure advantageous for an author of children's books to be associated with-Mother Goose."[9]

Geisel also used the pen name Theo. LeSieg (Geisel spelled backwards) for books he wrote but others illustrated.

Wacky Wednesday
(Beginner Books
(R))

Dr. Seuss:
American Icon

From Booklist
He claimed that he used nonsense to "awaken the brain cells," and his work, whether the political cartoons that began his career, or the children's books for which he is most famous, provides ample evidence of his ability to keep readers on their toes. Timed to coincide with the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of "The U.S. Laureate of Nonsense," this abundantly documented critical study investigates not only Dr. Seuss' quirky art and inventive language but also how his inspired goofiness entered the mainstream of American culture. Nel eschews all but the most necessary details of Dr. Seuss' personal life, but, using numerous, specific examples of his writing and art, digs deeply into the work, including a particularly intriguing discussion of Dr. Seuss' pre- and post-World War II politics. With extensive documentation and a bibliography of nearly 100 pages, this isn't for the renowned doctor's casual fans. But even nonacademics will come away enlightened about the talented man who wanted to wake people up to events in the world and leave a moral legacy for children.
Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association.

If you have lost your copy of Horton Hears a Who, replace it. Oops! Did you sell your child's copy at a garage sale when they grew up and moved out. Buy your next one for yourself or to gift to your grandchildren.

Horton Hears A Who!

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who
(Deluxe Edition)

Manhattan Toy Dr. Seuss Horton
Large

Dr. Seuss:
Horton Hears A Who! Original 27x40 Double Sided Movie Poster
Not A Reprint

Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!
You to the Rescue Game

Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook

I found the following recipe for Green Eggs and Ham a long time ago; sorry to say that I can't remember where I found it. I tried it and it was delicious. This recipe is a little more involved to make; but one that will surely please a brunch group of your adult friends who remember when they read Green Eggs and Ham.

If you would like to have a more kid friendly recipe and involve them in the creation of the dish; I would encourage you to check out this Green Eggs and Ham cookbook available from Amazon. For kids, perhaps the greener you can make the eggs the higher the "yuck" value and the better.

My favorite recipe for Green Eggs and Ham:

3 10 Oz. pkgs. Frozen chopped spinach
8 strips bacon
1 C. cooked ham
1 stick butter, divided in ½
1 C. flour
4 C. milk
3 tbls. minced onion
Seasoned salt, pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste
18 eggs
1 ½ C evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 C grated monterrey jack cheese

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain very well.
But bacon into ½ inch pieces, fry until crisp. Remove bacon and drain
on paper towel. Add ham to bacon grease and fry 2 minutes. Remove
ham, drain on paper towel and set aside with bacon.

Add ½ stick butter to bacon grease and melt. Add flour a little at a time,
mixing well. Stir and cook until flour bubbles. Add milk a little at a time,
stirring until sauce is thick and smooth. Add spinach, onion and seasonings;
mix well; remove from heat.

Melt ½ stick butter in another pan. Beat eggs and evaporated milk together
with salt and pepper. Scramble eggs in butter until lightly set.

Butter 9x13" baking dish. Spread half of eggs in bottom of pan. Layer half
of bacon and ham over eggs. Cover with helf of spinach mixture. Repeat
these layers once more. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate
overnight. Before baking, bring to room temperature. Bake at 275 for 1 hour.

Enjoy with some Champagne Mimosas. For fun and to continue with the theme, you could add a couple of drops of green food coloring and make them green as well.

I found the coolest website for great ideas on throwing birthday parties for your child. The one of course that grabbed my attention was a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat party. See the site for Boardman's party ideas below.

The Cat in the Hat Party

Invitation: Download Dr. Seuss images from the web or find stickers to decorate your wording.

"We're having a party! It's plain as can be!
I want you to celebrate with me!

The Cat will be there along with the Fish,
Horton & Sam, the 2 Things and we wish
that you would come too! We'll have much more fun!
We'll play in the rain....we'll play in the sun!

So get in your Who-train: DATE
Start making tracks: TIME
Meet us all at the Prairie of Prax: PLACE

We're having a party! It's plain as can be!
I want you to celebrate with me!"

Decorations:
If you chose the primary Cat-in-the-Hat everything can be red, white, blue, and yellow. Find play umbrellas at the local dollar store (the kid sized ones) and hang them open from the ceiling.

On an overhead projector, enlarge the Cat with Thing 1 and Thing 2 on either side of him. Put these on a large cardboard box with the Cat's head off. Find a red & white stovepipe hat and put the hat on the kids and stand them behind the box as though they were the cat.

Food:
(what else?) Green Eggs and Ham! Deviled eggs and color the filling green and have a large ham and sandwich fixings.

Cake:
Make the Cat's Hat for the cake. Stack four 8" round cakes. Put a cake board between the second and third layers with your support dowels underneath the board so it doesn't collapse. Use 6" rounds for less cake. Use 2 cardboards or a foam core board circle for the brim. Draw a circle 4" larger in diameter than your cake, cut it out. Cut out a center circle 2" less than your cake diameter out of your brim. Wrap the "Doughnut" in foil and cover with icing. Ice the cake with wide red/white bands. For right side up cake put the brim on the bottom and stack cakes on top, for upside down cake, put brim on top and ice center black or dark blue.
Also you could use the book pan from Wilton and copy two of the pages from your favorite Seuss Storybook.

Goodie Bags:
Find small cardboard star boxes at the craft store and painted them bright green--Sneetch green. Fill these with candy and a Seuss sayings. Make doorhangers with the Grinch on one side--Stay Out! and the Cat on the other--Come and Play! Of course bookmarks are a must! Any Dr. Seuss book would make a great take-home gift as well. Also, the kids can each take home one umbrella from the ceiling.

Games:
Read The Foot Book while the kids use washable markers to decorate their feet. Take pictures of their feet.

Practice balancing things on your heads like the Cat in the Hat. Use plastic plates, cups, & books and counted who could get the most on their head.

Play Sneetch Beach Ball. Each person gets a star to wear on their bellies and every other person got two stars. Using a beach ball, pass the ball to someone who was different from you. One-star must pass the ball to a two-star. If they passed to the same kind, they are out. When only one kind of star-belly is left declare their team the winner.

Horton Hears a Who. Have the birthday child make an animal sound for everyone to guess. Then each child makes a sound for the others to guess.

Thank You Cards:
Make a card on the computer which said "The End" with the Cat's picture on it. Enclosed the kids' picture as the Cat along with their thank you note.

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This is the website you will want to check out for any child's party you might be putting together. Very creative ideas!
Boardman's Party Ideas!

You're Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children

I believe that the reason that Dr. Seuss is so loved by children and adults alike is that he doesn't speak just to children or just to adults; he just speaks to us, regardless of age.

He neither talks down to us nor talks up to us; he just talks to us!

Amazon.com Review

Subtitled A Book for Obsolete Children, this unusual item in the Seuss canon doesn't really belong among the children's books. Written to celebrate the nonsense master's 82nd birthday, it follows "you" (an elderly gent in a suit and white moustache) through a physical check-up in some fiendish geriatric clinic. You are measured, prodded, and subjected to all the medical indignities familiar and unfamiliar to the elderly. "You must see Dr. Pollen, our Allergy Whiz, who knows every sniffle and itch that there is... He will check your reactions to thumbtacks and glue, catcher's mitts, leaf mould, and cardigans too. Nasturtiums and marble cake, white and blue chalks, anthracite coal and the feathers of hawks." It's clear that the process is going to be long, but much shorter than the bill. The blurb on the back says it all: "Is this a children's book? Well... not immediately. You buy a copy for your child now and you give it to him on his 70th birthday."

Actually, it would make an amusing gift for anyone over 40. --Richard Farr