Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904–91,) better known as Dr. Seuss, was an American writer and illustrator. He is celebrated for bringing a whimsical touch and a colorful imagination to the world of children’s books.
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Geisel attended Dartmouth College but later dropped out of Oxford University’s Lincoln College. After returning to America, he worked as a freelance cartoonist for magazines and advertising agencies, and as a Hollywood writer and animator.
Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book was And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street (1937,) which features a small boy who makes up a tall story about what he sees on the way home from school.
In 1957, Seuss began to write and draw a sequence of “Beginner Books” starting with The Cat in the Hat (1957.) This series used a simple vocabulary purposely to help teach reading—The Cat in the Hat uses just 220 different words and is 1702 words long. It was an extraordinarily critical and commercial success and made Dr. Seuss a household name. Within a year of publication, The Cat in the Hat was selling 12,000 copies a month; within five years, it had sold a million copies.
Dr. Seuss’s other popular children’s books include Horton Hatches the Egg (1940,) Green Eggs and Ham (1960,) and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990.) His books feature a playful way with political or social issues—consumerism, environmentalism, racism, etc. For adults, Dr. Seuss wrote You’re Only Old Once! (1986.)
Some of Dr. Seuss’s books were made into such popular movies as How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) and The Cat in the Hat (2003.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Individuality
If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Only you can control your future.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Oh, the places you’ll go!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Action
Now … thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground, there’s not enough Truffula Fruit to go ’round.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Luck
It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Challenges
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Being True to Yourself
Think and wonder, wonder and think.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Thinking
They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Carpe-diem
Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Christmas
Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Individuality
Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Imagination, Storytelling, Worry, Humor, Realism, Fun
You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Individuality
Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Fun
You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Solitude, Loneliness
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Simplicity, Questions
I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Bump! Bump! Bump! Did you ever ride a wump? We have a Wump with just one hump. But, we know a man called Mr. Gump. Mr Gump has a seven hump Wump. So… if you Bump! Bump! Just jump on the hump on the Wump of Gump.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Journeys, Graduation, Baseball
Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Be awesome! Be a book nut!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Individuality
So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Love, Reality
Preachers in pulpits talked about what a great message is in the book. No matter what you do, somebody always imputes meaning into your books.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Authors & Writing
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