Theodore Seuss Geisel known better as Dr. Seuss holds an important place in many American homes. His creations are everywhere. Simple masterpieces such as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham can be found in many libraries. His mind filled to the brim with wonderful imagery and colors. The young and the old can chime the simple rhymes. He wrote his books in order to plant a love for reading into beginner readers. The books for children of the time had the monotone, predictable set of sentences as boring as “See Jane run.” Some consider him a revolutionary in his own backyard in the sense that he broke away from tradition.
Born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts our Dr. Seuss had a simple yet rich background. His father, Theodor, the son of German immigrants, managed the family brewery, which as a highly successful business allowed them to live comfortably, until the restrictions of the depression fell upon them. Henrietta, Geisel's mother, had worked in a bakery and used to chant the list of pies available to the customers. Whenever Geisel had difficulty sleeping she would chant to him the pie lists that she remembered. Geisel said that he accredits his mother for his sense of rhythm. Geisel was raised as a Lutheran and all his life remained so. Geisel was a 1921Springfield's Central High School graduate, and that fall entered Dartmouth College and graduated from there in 1925.
While attending Dartmouth College Geisel wrote for the college humor magazine the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, where he eventually became the editor-in-chief. During that time Geisel hosted a drinking party and got caught. National prohibitions forbid such extravagances thus banning him from any after school activities. However, his love for writing drove him to break the rules. He used the alias of Dr. Sues to in able himself to continue in his writing. After graduation from Dartmouth, Geisel went to Lincoln College where he met Helen Palmer who later became his wife. She was the one who encouraged him towards a career of art. Geisel spent the next fifteen years of his life advertising for various companies. Helen then died in 1967 and the next year he married an old friend, Audrey Dimond.
His new wife really helped give him a new spark of inspiration. Not that the inspiration that he possessed before did not benefit him. Geisel received numerous awards for many of his works. He has received two Emmys, a Pulitzer award, three Caldecott Honor Awards, The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and many others. Our Dr. Seuss died on September 21st, 1991 at the ripe age of 87, and many of the awards were given to him after his death. Including the 2004 honor: the 2,249th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, his wife witnessed the honor and has accepted whatever awards that have been honored to him after his death. Two hundred million of his books have been sold, in fifteen different languages, and they are still selling. Dr. Seuss has left a legacy.
Movies have been made, art has found inspiration in his work; many have learned to read, and create their own little works of literature, all because of our man Dr. Seuss. The contrasting colors, the unique creatures, the easy to read poems with surprising depth, these things collaborate and create the glory of Dr. Seuss. This man spoke about both the social and the political matters, and much of the time in the form of his joyous cartoons. Many people's childhood memories consist of playing in the dirt, sinking their hands into play dough. Memories of marbles and sticks fill their minds, or of dolls and dogs. And still many other's with the books of Dr. Seuss.