Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Read Across America Every year since 1997, children in the United States have celebrated Read Across America. Read Across America is a reading celebration that takes place on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday. We will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America in March. Remember to wear your hat or socks for Crazy Hat and Crazy Sock day on Wednesday!

Young Teddy Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in Theodor had a sister named Marnie. His mother, Henrietta Seuss, always sang her children to sleep with soothing rhymes. Those rhymes were songs she remembered from her own childhood. Dr. Seuss said that his mother’s rhymes inspired him to create the rhymes and stories that made him a famous children’s author.

Writing Career Dr. Seuss attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Oxford University in England. He worked for many years as a cartoonist for magazines. His first children’s book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was published in This book was turned down by publishers 27 times before it was finally published.

Beginner Books In 1954, Dr. Seuss read a magazine article about school children struggling to learn to read. He decided to begin writing books for children using 200 words to help them learn to read. The first Beginner Book was The Cat in the Hat. This book uses 220 different words.

Crazy Mixed Up Name! The books Wacky Wednesday, Ten Apples on Top, and Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? were written by Theo. LeSieg. Theo. LeSieg is another name for Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss’s real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel. He turned his real last name around to spell LeSieg. LESIEG = GEISEL backwards!

Later Years Dr. Seuss wrote 44 children’s books. His books have been translated into more than 15 languages. Dr. Seuss died in September, 1991.

Draw Yourself Some Seuss racters.htm