“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” Catchy, poignant and full of wisdom, Dr. Seuss has been a treasure trove of knowledge and fun for children for generations. And on March 2, the world celebrates the genius cartoonist who is remembered for his classic and most loved Cat in the Hat . This day is also celebrated as National Read Across America Day, to honour his contribution to children’s literature.
Flashback
Dr. Seuss was not a doctor, nor was it his full name. Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American cartoonist who didn’t quite start out that way. He was the manager of the soccer team at school and enrolled in an art course in his freshman year. This is where his love for cartoons began.
Geisel, born in 1904, went on to study in Dartmouth College, where he wrote for the college’s humour magazine, Dartmouth Jack-o-Lantern . He even rose up to be the editor-in-chief of the magazine but was later barred from working after an untoward incident. But this didn’t deter Geisel. He continued to work for the magazine under a pseudonym, ‘Seuss’. After graduating, he wanted to pursue a PhD in English Literature but instead, dropped out of Oxford to become a cartoonist.
In 1927, Geisel returned to the U.S. and began to submit his work everywhere. His first work got him $25 and he moved from Springfield to New York to pursue his passion. As more and more of his work began to be published, Geisel began to draw for advertisements as well, making a name for himself through some trademark ads. This is when he began signing his comics as ‘Dr. Seuss’.
In 1936, a poem inspired his first book, And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street . This book was rejected 27 times before it was published. And from then on, there was no stopping him.
Classics
Then came his classics, The Cat in the Hat , Green Eggs and Ham , Oh, the Places You'll Go , Fox in Socks , Horton Hears a Who ! and How the Grinch Stole Christmas . His books have been translated into 15 languages and sold over 200 million copies. And it’s not just because of his cartoons but also his infinite words of wisdom!
In 1991, Geisel died of oral cancer and four years later, San Diego’s University Library was renamed Geisel Library, after him. In his long list of honours are two Academy awards, two Emmys, a Peabody award, and the Pulitzer Prize.
Seuss-isms
A person’s a person, no matter how small.
I meant what I said and I said what I meant.
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.