First, let me acknowledge ABEbooks and Mental Floss Blog as my
primary sources.
How well do you know Dr. Seuss?
What was he a doctor of?
Nothing. He just liked the sound of
the name Dr. Seuss.
Do you know his given name?
Theodore Seuss Geisel
Do you know why he started using a
pseudonym?
He was caught with gin in his dorm
room at Dartmouth and asked to step down from the editorship of the Dartmouth
humor magazine, Jack-O-Lantern. He
continued to contribute material to the magazine under the name Seuss.
Besides his success with writing,
what else was he successful at?
He won two Oscars, one for a
documentary and one for an animated short.
What word is he credited with using
first that became part of everyday vocabulary?
In If I ran the Zoo he used “nerd” for the first recorded time.
When he wrote his ecological book The Lorax, how did some small logging
groups respond?
They came out with a book
countering his plot named The Truax.
What phrase of his was copied
without his permission? How did he react?
An anti-abortion group used words
from Horton hears a Who— “A person’s a person no matter how small.”—
in their letterhead. Dr. Seuss threatened to sue if they did not remove the
phrase.
In “Yertle the Turtle” what did
Random House question?
The publisher had no problem with
Dr. Seuss writing an allegory about Adolf Hitler.
They were, however, concerned when
about one of the turtle’s burping, which, at that time, was not something
children’s books described.
Who was hired to do the voice of
the Grinch in the animated special The
Grinch who stole Christmas?
Boris Karloff.
What now rare book by Dr. Seuss was
pulled from some libraries shortly after it was published and why was it pulled?
The
Butter Battle Book. Dr Seuss
wrote about two groups who went to war over the question of which side of bread
should be buttered. Each side
engaged in an escalation of armaments. Many people thought the book mirrored
the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union and asked
libraries to take it off the shelves. Some libraries did.
Who is your favorite children's author?
Dr. Seuss is one of my favorites, Warren. I knew many of the things you listed, but there were some that were new to me, so thanks.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Ted, I also loved Shel Silverstein, & the Harold & the Purple Crayon books.
Very enjoyable blog. :o)
And my question to all is this: who was your favorite character. I always liked the fish, even if it was a scold.
ReplyDelete~ Jim
Good authors to chose, Alyx
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Jim. There were many character to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting array of info about Dr. Seuss. I just assumed he was really a doctor of sorts. As to a favorite children's writer--I can't pick just one. So many talented people write books for kids.
ReplyDeleteDr. Seuss's gift was being able to write children's books that dealt with what was actually going on around them in the real world without talking down to them or preaching. And of course, his ability to create wondrous characters.
ReplyDeleteI'm like Jacqueline. There have been--and are--so many wonderful writers writing for children that it's hard to pick favorites. I'd have a list longer than my arm. Susan Cooper and Diana Wynne Jones are two modern children's writers I enjoy, and Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Lucy Maud Montgomery are some authors of the past that I love.
Great post, Warren!
What a fun post! Thanks, Warren. Seuss was an interesting guy.
ReplyDeleteToo many favorite authors to choose from! Favorite for today is James Marshall, author of the George and Martha stories. And his stories about Fox, who manages to be lazy, debonair, and kind all at the same time, are hilarious.
Ha, awesome! I love Mo Willems's "Pigeon" books and I'm with Alyx on Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple crayon books.
ReplyDeleteDr. Suess wasn't one of my favorites as a child. Although I love "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," I felt his over alliteration confusing and was lost trying to find meaning in his stories. Now that I realize that some of his writing was intended as allegory to adult events, I'm not surprised it was lost on me as a child.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite children's authors was James Marshall. I loved his portrayal of George and Martha to teach what priorities love and friendship should serve.
The books I remember so well were from when I was a middle school reader and older. A British author, Hester Burton, wrote wonderful historicals, and I loved Phyllis A. Whitney's mysteries. Also, K.M. Peyton's Flambards series was delightful. And, Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass.
ReplyDeleteDoctor Seuss came along when my children were small. They loved them and so did I even though I had to read their particular favorites over and over. I wish I were at home on my own computer to go over the children's books I read to my students and loved to much to not keep them. I never tired of reading Sign of the Beaver, The Cay and A Door in the Wall and the Chronicles of Narnia to name a few, but I also read the Dr. Seuss's book "And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street" as a writing prompt for them.
ReplyDeleteCindy Lou Who. I like Horton, too, but love little Cindy Lou.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Warren. I'm a huge Doctor Seuss fan -- also a tall one.
ReplyDelete