The definitive, fascinating, all-reaching biography of Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss is a classic American icon. Whimsical and wonderful, his work has defined our childhoods and the childhoods of our own children. The silly, simple rhymes are a bottomless well of magic, his illustrations timeless favorites because, quite simply, he makes us laugh. The Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, Horton, and so many more, are his troupe of beloved, and uniquely Seussian, creations.
Theodor Geisel, however, had a second, more radical side. It is there that the allure and fasciation of his Dr. Seuss alter ego begins. He had a successful career as an advertising man and then as a political cartoonist, his personal convictions appearing, not always subtly, throughout his books--remember the environmentalist of
The Lorax? Geisel was a complicated man on an important mission. He introduced generations to the wonders of reading while teaching young people about empathy and how to treat others well.
Agonizing over word choices and rhymes, touching up drawings sometimes for years, he upheld a rigorous standard of perfection for his work. Geisel took his responsibility as a writer for children seriously, talking down to no reader, no matter how small. And with classics like
Green Eggs and Ham, and
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Geisel delighted them while they learned. Suddenly, reading became fun.
Coming right off the heels of
George Lucas and bestselling
Jim Henson, Brian Jay Jones is quickly developing a reputation as a master biographer of the creative geniuses of our time.
Author: Brian Jay Jones
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Dutton
Published: 05/26/2020
Pages: 504
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781524742799
About the AuthorBrian Jay Jones is the critically-acclaimed, bestselling biographer of three books on some of the world's most iconic creative figures, including
Jim Henson: The Biography and
George Lucas: A Life. For nearly three decades, he has served as a speechwriter for elected officials at all levels of government, including ten years in the United States Senate.
Brian currently lives in Virginia with his wife and a very excitable dog.