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’)
All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Loneliness, Solitude
They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more …
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Christmas
So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Balance
Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
If you keep your eyes open enough, oh the stuff you will learn. Oh the most wonderful stuff.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
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
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Luck
My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It’s the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You’ll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond ‘Z’ and start poking around.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Imagination
I’m afraid sometimes you’ll play lonely games too, games you can’t win because you’ll play against you.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Loneliness, Solitude
If you’d never been born, then you might be an Isn’t! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No, he disn’t.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Individuality
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own.And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Confidence, Choice, Graduation
How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Carpe-diem
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Problems, Adversity, Challenges
You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.
—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… and that enables you to laugh at all of life’s realities.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Fantasy, Imagination
If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Fun
There’s no limit to how much you’ll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go.
—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: Worry, Humor, Realism, Imagination, Fun, Storytelling
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Sadness, Life
Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Challenges
Think and wonder, wonder and think.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Thinking
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
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
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’)
Topics: Simplicity, Questions
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