Dr. Seuss [1904-91] Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

'Dr. Seuss' was the author and illustrator of books beloved by children and adults around the world.
His cartoon artistry was further enhanced with a gift for rhythmic prose – a pattern based on
the beat of the ship's engine during a 1936 vacation in Europe.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts; his grandparents were from Germany and his parents spoke German at home. Ted was always 'doodling', and at Dartmouth College he decided to become editor of the Jack-O-Lantern humor magazine, which he did in 1924. After graduation in 1925, he studied literature for a year at Oxford Univeristy in England, where he met Helen Palmer. A job as writer and artist at Judge magazine back in the U.S. made it possible to marry Helen in 1927. He wrote humorous articles & drew cartoons for American magazines, and attracted the attention of an insecticide called Flit!, securing a job drawing funny ads that lasted 17 years and brought his works into every home in America.
His first published book – after the manuscript was rejected by 27 publishers – was "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" (1938), a modest success, selling 10,000 copies at a dollar apiece. "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" followed the same year.

During World War II, he headed the animation department of the USAAF First Motion Picture Unit {aka F.M.P.U.} at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, and was assigned later to projects in Europe. After the war, he and fellow F.M.P.U. alumnus Bill Scott created the Oscar-winning cartoon short, "Gerald McBoing-Boing". Successes in publishing and in Hollywood enabled Ted & Helen to move to La Jolla, California (near San Diego) in 1948.

A Life Magazine article on children's illiteracy prompted Ted's publisher to challenge him to produce a children's book using only 400 important words; Ted cut the list to 250, then wrote "The Cat In The Hat" using only 220 of the listed words – the 1957 book was an instant hit, and revolutionized children's book publishing. Success followed success. In 1960, Random House publisher Bennett Cerf bet Ted that he could not write a book using a list of only 50 words; the result was "Green Eggs and Ham", another resounding hit.
Dr. Seuss became a household name, with audio tapes and cartoon TV specials, and more recently, live action feature films (see below). He was given a Pulitzer Special Award in 1984 for 'his contribution to the education and enjoyment of America's children and their parents'.

Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967; Ted married Audrey Stone Dimond in 1968; Ted died of cancer 24 September 1991 in La Jolla, California. In all, Ted Geisel wrote 44 children's books, many stories, and several books for adults. Audrey Geisel currently manages the Dr. Seuss intellectual properties legacy as president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises LP.

        An 'Art of Dr. Seuss' Project was begun in 1997 to produce & sell limited edition prints & statuary, thru the Chase Gallery in Chicago. Random House has extended the Seuss catalog, publishing further editions of existing works as well as newly-written books, especially by Tish Rabe & Bonnie Worth.
        These books are often illustrated by American cartoonist Aristides Ruiz, who is described in several places as 'illustrator & chosen heir of the Dr. Seuss estate'. {He lives in Australia; no personal website found.}
        The year 2004 was celebrated as a 'Seussentenial: A Century of Imagination' (the 100th anniversary of Geisel's birth), with a new postage stamp, theatrical tours & children's workshops, museum & gallery exhibits, and unveilings of sculptures and a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Memorial activity continued with new books, exhibitions of Ted's 'secret' art works, and other events.

won shared Emmy Award "Halloween Is Grinch Night" [1977]

won shared Emmy Award for "The Grinch Grinches The Cat In The Hat" [1982]

Ted Geisel won shared Emmy Awards for
"Halloween Is Grinch Night" [1977]
and "The Grinch Grinches The Cat In The Hat" [1982]
and has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

"The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T"
live action fantasy musical [Columbia Pictures July 1953]

A young boy who hates practicing the piano falls asleep and dreams that his piano teacher has enslaved 500 boys to play a gigantic piano. The boy convinces a plumber to help him, and they construct an 'atomic noise-sucker' which explodes and wakes him from the dream. Produced by Stanley Kramer; directed by Roy Rowland; story, screenplay & lyrics by Dr. Seuss; starring Tommy Rettig, Mary Healy, Hans Conried & Peter Lind Hayes; Oscar nomination for Best Music Score
Sony color DVD [4/2001] for $17.99
Sony color VHS [6/96] out of prodn/used
full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia;

	"Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham Plus Other Seuss Stories" [1997] semi-animated versions of three Seuss stories: "Green Eggs and Ham", "Ten Apples On Top", and "The Tooth Book" Random House Video color VHS [7/97] for $3.05
	"Dr. Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham & Other Favorites" [2003] 12-minute collection includes four animated shorts: "Green Eggs and Ham" with Sam-I-Am; "The Sneetches"; "The Zax"; the Emmy Award-winning "Halloween Is Grinch Night" [1977]; and two wonderful sing-along songs: "He Will Eat Them" and "Grinches Inches Closer" Universal Studios color DVD [7/2007] for $13.95 Universal Studios color VHS [7/2003] for $5.95
	"The Best of Dr. Seuss" [2003] Turner Home Ent. color DVD [11/2003] for $6.11 includes "The Butter Battle Book" [1989] directed by Ralph Bakshi, semi- animated "Horton Hatches The Egg" [1992], and "Daisie-Head Mayzie" [1995]

"The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins"
[Paramount/Puppetoons April 1943]
Written by Dr. Seuss; produced by George Pal; Oscar nomination for Best Cartoon Short; full credits at IMDb

"And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street"
[Paramount/Puppetoons July 1944]
Written by Dr. Seuss; produced by George Pal; Oscar nomination for Best Cartoon Short; full credits at IMDb

"Gerald McBoing-Boing"
Technicolor short [U.P.A./Columbia Jan 1951]
Story by Dr. Seuss; produced by Stephen Bosustow; won Oscar for Best Cartoon Short &
Special Award from BAFTA • full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Horton Hears A Who !"
[M.G.M.-TV cartoon short 1970]

Horton the Elephant discovers a microscopic community of intelligent beings that only he can hear, living on a flower. The other animals think that Horton has gone crazy, and resolve to take action for his own good. But Horton and the tiny residents of Who work together to prevent a tragedy.
Co-directed by Chuck Jones & Ben Washam; with the voices of Hans Conried {as narrator & Horton}, Chuck Jones, June Foray & Thurl Ravenscroft
Rhino/W.E.A. soundtrack CD [10/99] out of prodn/used
credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
The Blu-ray edition includes two animated Seuss stories: "The Butter Battle Book" [1989] and "Daisy-Head Mayzie" [1995]; the "In Search of Dr. Seuss" docufilm; and two sing-along featurettes.
Warner Home Video color Blu-ray [10/2009] for $8.78
The recent DVD includes a new sing-along featurette and three animated Seuss stories: "The Butter Battle Book" [1989], "Horton Hatches The Egg" [1992], and "Daisy-Head Mayzie" [1995].
Warner Home Video Deluxe Edition widescreen color DVD [3/2008] for $6.50
The older DVD and the videos are packaged with the "Grinch/Christmas" 1966 TV movie.
Warner Home Video color DVD [10/2000] for $9.99
Warner Home Video color VHS [10/2000] vfor $4.78

"Halloween Is Grinch Night" cartoon TV special
[DePatie-Freleng/CBS-TV Oct 1977]
Produced by David H. DePatie & Friz Freleng; co-produced & written by Dr. Seuss; directed by
Gerard Baldwin; voices include Hans Conried, Henry Gibson & Thurl Ravenscroft; won shared Emmy Award
for Outstanding Children's Special • available on 2003 "Green Eggs & Ham" VHS/DVD collection above
full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Horton Hatches The Egg" semi-animated short [1992]
available on several DVDs • credits at IMDb

"Gerald McBoing Boing" TV series [Cartoon Network 2005-2010]
Produced in Canada by Cookie Jar Entertainment; directed by Robin Budd; story edited/written by John Derevlany;
animation by Mercury Filmworks in Ottawa • full credits at IMDb • series entry at Wikipedia

"The Cat In The Hat" [Universal pre-production]

Announced 3/2012: UniversalNBC and Illumination Entertainment are plotting a CGI-cartoon
version • latest info at IMDb

"The Parables of Dr. Seuss" [1/2008] by Robert L. Short
http://www.amazon.com/The-Parables-Seuss-Robert-Short/dp/0664230474/

"Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!" [6/2011] by Jacob M. Held
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-Philosophy-Thinks-ebook/dp/B0052U9UB8/
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-Philosophy-Thinks-Think/dp/1442203110/

"Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind The Hat" [11/2012] by Caroline M. Smith
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-The-Cat-Behind/dp/1449432603/
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-Cat-Behind-Collectors/dp/0975366432/

"Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen By The One & Only Dr. Seuss" [2004]
Random House/YR 12x9¼ hardcover [10/2004] for $24.46
Each tale is prefaced by a short essay; the stories included are: "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street", "Horton Hears A Who!", "McElligot’s Pool", "If I Ran The Zoo", Happy Birthday To You!", "Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book", "Yertle The Turtle", "The Cat In The Hat", "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!", "Green Eggs & Ham", "The Lorax", "The Sneetches", and "Oh, The Places You’ll Go!", with a complete Seuss bibliography

"And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" (1938)
"The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" (1938)
"The King's Stilts" (1939)
"The Seven Lady Godivas" (1939) for adults

"If I Ran The Zoo" (1950)
"Horton Hears A Who" (1954)
"Scrambled Eggs Super!" (1954)
"On Beyond Zebra" (1955)

If I Ran The Circus children's book by Dr. Seuss

"If I Ran The Circus" [ages 4-9; 1956] by Dr. Seuss
Little Morris McGurk imagines the empty lot behind Mr. Sneelock's ramshackle store – just clear out the rusty cans, the dead tree, and the old cars – used for the amazing, world-beating Circus McGurkus.
Random House 11¼x8¼ pb [10/56] for $8.80
Random House 10¾x8 hardcover [1984] out of print/used
Random House 11x8 hardcover [10/56] out of print/used

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (1957)
"The Cat In The Hat" (1957)
"The Big Brag" (1958)
"Gertrude McFuzz" (1958)
"Yertle The Turtle" & Other Stories (1958)
"Bartholomew and The Oobleck" (1959)
"Happy Birthday To You!" (1959)

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" (1960)
"The Sneetches" & Other Stories (1961)
"Ten Apples Up On Top" (1961)
"Too Many Daves" (1961)
"What Was I Scared Of?" (1961)
"The Zax" (1961)
"Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book" (1962)
"Dr. Seuss's ABC" (1963)
"Hop On Pop" (1963)
"Fox In Socks" (1965)
"I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew" (1965)
"I Wish I Had Duck Feet" (1965)
"Wacky Wednesday"
"Please Try To Remember The First of Octember!"
"The Cat In Ihe Hat Beginner Book Dictionary" (1966)
"Come Over To My House" (1966)
"The Cat In Ihe Hat Song Book" (1967)
"The Cat In Ihe Hat Comes Back" (1968)
"The Eye Book" (1968)
"The Foot Book" (1968)
"The Glunk That Got Thunk" (1969)
"I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today" & Other Stories (1969)
"King Looie Katz" (1969)
"My Book About Me, By Me Myself" (1969)

"Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!" (1972)
"Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?" (1973)
"Shape of Me & Other Stuff" (1973)
"Great Day For Up!" (1974)
"There's A Wocket In My Pocket" (1974)
"Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!" (1975)
"The Cat's Quizzer" (1976)
"I Can Read With My Eyes Shut" (1978)
"Oh Say Can You Say" (1979)
"The Tooth Book" (1981)
"Hunches In Bunches" (1982)

"You're Only Old Once! A Book For Obsolete Children" [2/1986] by Dr. Seuss
http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Only-Once-Obsolete-Children/dp/0394551907/

"I Am Not Going To Get Up Today!" (1987)
"The Tough Coughs As He Ploughs The Dough" (1987)

"Oh, The Places You'll Go!" [1990]
"Daisy-Head Mayzie"
"Daisie-Head Mayzie" movie [1995]
"My Many Colored Days"
"A Hatful of Seuss"
"Hooray For Diffendoofer Day" [1999]
"The Big Brag"

"What Pet Should I Get?" [ages 3-7; 2015] 7/2015

'What Pet Should I Get?' picture book by Dr. Seuss

Written by Dr. Seuss circa 1960 and set aside; packed away after Seuss's death in 1991, rediscovered in 2014; reconstructed with major research and editing by Cathy Goldsmith of Random House; first printing of one million copies; the story has the two siblings from "One Fish, Two Fish..." consider many options at the pet store, including imaginary beasts; the ending leaves their choice up to the reader
Kindle Edition from Random House BFYR [7/2015] for $9.59
Random House Books for Young Readers 11¼x8½ hardcover [7/2015] for $10.09

Ted Geisel was the mystery guest on
"To Tell The Truth" CBS-TV program [aired April 1958]
episode credits at IMDb

Family & Friends
Theodor Seuss 'Ted' Geisel was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts; his first children's book was published in 1937, his first bestseller
was in 1957; he moved to a hilltop home & studio in La Jolla, California in 1948 and died at home there in 1991.

second wife Audrey Stone Dimond Geisel [b. 1922?] - married in 1968, widowed September 1991
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972213/ • no entry at Wikipedia
two daughters from her first marriage

Ted's assistant Claudia Prescott: started working for Mr. Geisel in 1972
and now helps Mrs. Geisel run Dr. Seuss Enterprises

apparent 'chosen artistic heir' of the Dr. Seuss estate illustrator Aristides Ruiz of Australia

	"In Search of Dr. Seuss" [Turner Nov 1994] Directed by Vincent Paterson; starring Kathy Najimy & Matt Frewer Warner color DVD [2/2004] for $18.98 Turner color VHS [9/96] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb
	"Oh, The Places He Went: A Story About Dr. Seuss" [1994] for pre-schoolers; by Maryann N. Weidt, illustrated by Kerry Maguire Carolrhoda Books 8½x6 pb [12/94] for $6.95 Carolrhoda Books 11x8½ hardcover [12/94] for $22.60
	"Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography" [1995] by Judith & Neil Morgan DeCapo Press 9¼x6 pb [8/96] for $12.95 Random House 9½x6¾ hardcover [4/95] out of print/used
	"The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss" [1995] by Audrey Geisel Random House 11x8¾ hardcover [10/95] for $22.05
	"Dr. Seuss: American Icon" [2004] by Philip Nel C.I.P.G. 8½x5½ pb [2/2005] for $46.95 C.I.P.G. 9¼X6¼ hardcover [1/2004] out of print/used
	"The Boy On Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss" [2004] by Kathleen Krull, with paintings by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher Random House/YR 11¼x8¼ hardcover [1/2004] for $11.53
	"The Seuss, The Whole Seuss and Nothing But The Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel" [2004] by Charles D. Cohen Random House/YR 11x8¾ hardcover [2/2004] for $24.50

	"Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel" [1999] by Richard H. Minear New press 9x9 pb [9/2001] for $12.57 New Press 9¼x9¼ hardcover [10/99] for $18.90
	"Seussical The Musical" [Broadway play Nov 2000 - May 2001] Book & lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book & music by Stephen Flaherty Decca original cast recording audio CD [1/2001] 28 tracks for $12.97 credits at Internet Broadway Database • entry at Wikipedia
	"The Political Dr. Seuss" [PBS-TV special aired 26 October 2004] Directed by Ron Lamothe Terra Incognita Films color DVD [undated] out of prodn/scarce P.B.S. TV special webpages producer website [video & DVD available there] not listed at IMDb (12/2011)
	"Theodor Seuss Geisel: The Early Works, Volume 1" [2005] These cartoons and advertisements from the 20s & 30s seem crude, compared to his breakthrough work after 1936-38, but are nonetheless a marvelous body of early work. Checker Book Group 10¼x7 hardcover [11/2005] for $22.95 "Theodor Seuss Geisel: The Early Works, Volume 2" [2006] Checker Book Group 10¼x7 hardcover [3/2006] for $22.95 "Theodor Seuss Geisel: The Early Works, Volume 3" [2006] Checker Book Group pb [4/2006] out of print/scarce
	"One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cent, New Cent: All About Money" [ages 4-8; 2008] by Bonnie Worth, Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz & Joe Mathieu Random House Books for Young Readers 9x6½ hardcover [9/2008] for $8.99 based on characters created by Dr. Seuss
	"The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories" [age 6 & up; 2011] by Dr. Seuss, Edited by Charles D. Cohen seven rarely seen stories by Dr. Seuss, originally published in magazines between 1948 and 1959: "The Bear, The Rabbit, and The Zinniga-Zanniga"; "Gustav The Goldfish"; "Tadd and Todd"; "Steak For Supper"; "The Bippolo Seed"; "The Strange Shirt Spot"; and "The Great Henry McBride" Random House Books for Young Readers hardcover [9/2011] for $9.69 watch official Random House promo video [3:12] on YouTube

Spirit of America BookstoreDr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel [1904-1991]

Spirit of America Bookstore
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel [1904-1991]