The Life of
Dr. Seuss
A Special Book for
Read Across America Day
by Anne Corsetti
After high school, Ted attended Dartmouth College where he wrote for, and managed, the school's humor magazine: Jack O'Lantern. Just before his graduation in 1925, Ted got into trouble at school. As a punishment, the dean told Ted that he would have to stop writing for the magazine. Ted got around this by using the pen name "Ted Seuss" or just "Seuss".
Later Ted wrote a series of cartoons about animals called "Boids and Beasties". He signed these cartoons "Dr. Theophrastus Seuss".
Ted sold cartoons he had written to magazines. One of these cartoons got him a good-paying job creating advertisements for the insect repellant, Flit. This job kept him busy during the spring and summer months.
In his free time, Ted decided to write an ABC book for children but he could not find a publisher who would publish it. His next book was called And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated 48 books. Four of them were published after he died. His books have been translated into more than 15 languages and have sold more than 222 million worldwide.
Dr. Seuss died in 1991. Even though he is no longer alive, we celebrate a special event called Read Across America every year on his birthday.
On every March 2 since 1997, the National Education Association helps schools and other groups remind us how important reading is for children. The NEA chose the birthday of Dr. Seuss because he wrote fun, rhyming books that children enjoy reading as they build their reading skills.
Resources
Weidt, Maryann N. Oh, the Places He Went: A Story About Dr. Seuss. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc. 1994.
The Advertising Artwork of Dr. Seuss