Dr. Seuss

 Levine, Stuart P. Dr. Seuss. Part of the Importance Of series. 2001. 112p. ISBN 978-1-56006-748-9. Available at  813 LEV on the library shelves.

Growing up, Theodor Giesel loved to draw funny pictures and play with words. His childhood home was filled with books, and his mother strongly encouraged him to read. His father, who first worked in the family brewery, transitioned to running the public park system in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was in charge of the zoo. Young Theodore thus spent a lot of time reading books and watching zoo animals.

He completed a degree at Dartmouth, then went to Oxford to do a doctorate but left to pursue his artistic inclinations, first as an illustrator for magazines, then for advertisement, before he released a children's book in 1937 called And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Completely different than most young reader primers, Dr. Seuss' first book featured rhymes and strange illustrations that fostered a love of reading. This new approach would change the world of beginner books.

Giesel worked in propaganda for the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and returned to writing children's books, creating such beloved gems as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. An obsolete child, as he liked to call himself, Dr. Seuss never truly grew up, and retained an attachment to what children enjoyed reading. After more than 60 books, movies, and theme parks, Dr. Seuss's creations remain beloved by millions, proving that children can become excellent readers.