Nonsense wakes up the brain cells. And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day and age.
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There are few authors that are able to be considered a “household name”. Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr Seuss) is one of those authors. Born in 1904 in Massachusetts he had an average childhood at the time. There were some financial issues around the time of prohibition (but that was a given based on the line of work that his father and grandfather were in). His father worked the same job that his father had worked (brewmaster) and his mother told him silly rhymes from her childhood when it was time for her children to go to sleep. Seuss of course gave all the credit to his mother for his ability to create the rhymes that made his works famous.
Seuss (still calling himself “Ted” at this time) left Massachusetts when he was a teenager so that he could attend Dartmouth College. There he quickly rose into the position of editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern (Dartmouth’s humorous magazine). As college kids do Seuss threw a party at college where he was caught drinking (which was not only against campus policy but also the prohibition laws of the time) which lost him his spot as editor-in-chief. Although he was no longer officially part of the staff of the Jack-O-Lantern Ted continued to contribute, only now he signed his work as “Seuss,” which was the beginning of his creative legacy. There was an unfinished promise that Suess owed to his father who wanted him to be a college professor. Being stuck in a classroom all day was not exactly something that appealed to Seuss so he decided to tour Europe rather than going to Oxford. The only thing that Seuss gained from going to Oxford was his first wife, Helen Palmer.
Eventually the two returned to the United States where Seuss began his career as an advertising cartoonist for Standard Oil. World War II approached quickly and Seuss's focus shifted from advertisement to helping with the war in any way that he could. Since he was too old to be drafted Seuss decided that the best way for him to help would be to make training movies for the soldiers of the times featuring a trainee named Private Snafu. Seuss’s illustrations were still being published in Life, Vanity Fair, and Judge, along with a few other magazines. Viking Press finally took notice of his work and offered him a contract to illustrate a book for them. Even though the book itself wasn't a success, these drawings are what got Seuss his “big break” and allowed him to begin his solo journey into children’s literature. It is true that Seuss finally got his big break, however getting his first book published took some time. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was rejected 27 times before being published, finally becoming Seuss's first solo book.
The Cat in the Hat is quite possibly the book that caught the attention of publishers and allowed for Seuss to become as famous as he did. The only stories for kids to learn to read on were Dick and Jane, there is nothing wrong with these books other the fact that they are dreadfully boring for children. Countless children have learned to read from The Cat in the Hat simply because the language is perfect for them to learn to read with, it is the perfect level for beginning readers. The reason behind this perfect language is because The Cat in the Hat was written with words that were off of a vocabulary list for children of 6 and 7 years of age. Surprisingly it took Seuss a year and a half to write the book even though it uses just over 200 words.
Seuss (still calling himself “Ted” at this time) left Massachusetts when he was a teenager so that he could attend Dartmouth College. There he quickly rose into the position of editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern (Dartmouth’s humorous magazine). As college kids do Seuss threw a party at college where he was caught drinking (which was not only against campus policy but also the prohibition laws of the time) which lost him his spot as editor-in-chief. Although he was no longer officially part of the staff of the Jack-O-Lantern Ted continued to contribute, only now he signed his work as “Seuss,” which was the beginning of his creative legacy. There was an unfinished promise that Suess owed to his father who wanted him to be a college professor. Being stuck in a classroom all day was not exactly something that appealed to Seuss so he decided to tour Europe rather than going to Oxford. The only thing that Seuss gained from going to Oxford was his first wife, Helen Palmer.
Eventually the two returned to the United States where Seuss began his career as an advertising cartoonist for Standard Oil. World War II approached quickly and Seuss's focus shifted from advertisement to helping with the war in any way that he could. Since he was too old to be drafted Seuss decided that the best way for him to help would be to make training movies for the soldiers of the times featuring a trainee named Private Snafu. Seuss’s illustrations were still being published in Life, Vanity Fair, and Judge, along with a few other magazines. Viking Press finally took notice of his work and offered him a contract to illustrate a book for them. Even though the book itself wasn't a success, these drawings are what got Seuss his “big break” and allowed him to begin his solo journey into children’s literature. It is true that Seuss finally got his big break, however getting his first book published took some time. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was rejected 27 times before being published, finally becoming Seuss's first solo book.
The Cat in the Hat is quite possibly the book that caught the attention of publishers and allowed for Seuss to become as famous as he did. The only stories for kids to learn to read on were Dick and Jane, there is nothing wrong with these books other the fact that they are dreadfully boring for children. Countless children have learned to read from The Cat in the Hat simply because the language is perfect for them to learn to read with, it is the perfect level for beginning readers. The reason behind this perfect language is because The Cat in the Hat was written with words that were off of a vocabulary list for children of 6 and 7 years of age. Surprisingly it took Seuss a year and a half to write the book even though it uses just over 200 words.
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"Seuss was used to inventing words when he needed them, so to stick to a word list was a huge challenge for him," Nel (who gave Seuss the challenge of writing said book) says. "And, in fact, his favorite story about the creation of The Cat in the Hat is that it was born out of his frustration with the word list. He said he would come up with an idea, but then he would have no way to express that idea. So he said...: 'I read the list three times and almost went out of my head. I said I'll read it once more and if I can find two words that rhyme, that will be my book. I found cat and hat and I said the title will be The Cat in the Hat.'"
It is not simply the use of perfect language that Seuss used that made The Cat in the Hat as popular as it was. Seuss was able to create a book that children were physically unable to put down by creating characters and situations that children were able to throw themselves into. There is a giant cat who teaches children how to have fun along with his things who create havoc and mess wherever they go. There is of course someone who attempts to keep the children in line, but instead of it being a parent or a babysitter in the case of The Cat in the Hat it is a goldfish who continuously warns the children of the consequences of their actions.
It is not simply the use of perfect language that Seuss used that made The Cat in the Hat as popular as it was. Seuss was able to create a book that children were physically unable to put down by creating characters and situations that children were able to throw themselves into. There is a giant cat who teaches children how to have fun along with his things who create havoc and mess wherever they go. There is of course someone who attempts to keep the children in line, but instead of it being a parent or a babysitter in the case of The Cat in the Hat it is a goldfish who continuously warns the children of the consequences of their actions.
Of course The Cat in the Hat wasn't the only book that Seuss ever wrote. In total he wrote over 60 before he died. There are a few common themes that run through Seuss's books that make it impossible for a reader to not know immediately that they are reading a Seuss book, from the first moment they open the book. Such themes are rhyming, the use of imaginary words, and alliteration throughout the story. A few of his characters make appearances in more than one of his books such as Bartholomew Cubbins. He is seen not only in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins but also in Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Seuss is also able to use language that children generally would not be able to understand if they were simply hearing the word in conversation in a way that makes it so they are able to understand the word fully (or for the most part). Lessons are another theme throughout Seuss's stories. It seems as though every Seuss book has some sort of lesson whether it be patience, humility, or how people are always able to trust their friends no matter the circumstances. Even the illustrations in a Seuss book (or anything else that he drew for that matter) have a distinguishable trait in them that make it impossible to try and say that anyone else made the artwork. Although the illustrations are fairly simple there are characteristics of the drawings (such as the facial shape and overall "happy" appeal that they have) that make them different from any other drawings. When there is color added to the drawings it is usually a bright color such as red or the whimsy colors in The Lorax. Speaking of The Lorax there is the theme that people have to take care of the environment so that future generations are able to enjoy the world that we know today (a lesson that people still aren't quite understanding). Each of Seuss's stories usually have a single line that readers are able to remember (sometimes even years) after reading the story.
One thing is for certain. Dr Seuss and his completely zany and wacky stories are not going anywhere (as far as I can tell). When Seuss died (September 24, 1991) he had written and illustrated over 45 children’s books (on his own. The actual total is over 60). His books have been translated into over 15 languages and over 200 million copies of his books have been brought into the homes of the world, making Seuss the family name that he currently is.
One thing is for certain. Dr Seuss and his completely zany and wacky stories are not going anywhere (as far as I can tell). When Seuss died (September 24, 1991) he had written and illustrated over 45 children’s books (on his own. The actual total is over 60). His books have been translated into over 15 languages and over 200 million copies of his books have been brought into the homes of the world, making Seuss the family name that he currently is.
Nearly, Lynn. "Fifty Years of 'The Cat in the Hat'" NPR. NPR, 01 Mar. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/2007/03/01/7651308/fifty-years-of-the-cat-in-the-hat>.
"Theodor Seuss Geisel - "Dr. Seuss" Biography." Theodor Seuss Geisel - "Dr. Seuss" Biography. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, 2002. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm>.
Whiteley, Aliya. "Children's Book Authors Who Weren't Keen on Children." Mental Floss UK. N.p., 19 Jan. 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://mentalfloss.com/uk/books/26837/childrens-book-authors-who-werent-keen-on-children>.
-Andrea Dow
"Theodor Seuss Geisel - "Dr. Seuss" Biography." Theodor Seuss Geisel - "Dr. Seuss" Biography. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, 2002. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm>.
Whiteley, Aliya. "Children's Book Authors Who Weren't Keen on Children." Mental Floss UK. N.p., 19 Jan. 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://mentalfloss.com/uk/books/26837/childrens-book-authors-who-werent-keen-on-children>.
-Andrea Dow