Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring Quick, Henry, the Flit!, appeared in several leading American magazines.
Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, was published in 1937, and the world of children’s literature was changed forever. In 1957, Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat became the prototype for one of Random House’s bestselling series, Beginner Books. This popular series combined engaging stories with outrageous illustrations and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills.
Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children’s books, some of which have been made into recordings, animated television specials, and movies for children of all ages.
In addition to Dr. Seuss, Thedor Geisel also used the pen name Theo LeSieg (Geisel backwards) for books written by him, but illustrated by others.