5 Fun Facts About Dr. Seuss

It is Dr. Seuss' birthday today. 

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To celebrate, we are taking the boys to the movie, Lorax.

 (it is also Noah's birthday today, and the best kind of parties for 10 year old boys-- a movie:)

After reading about Dr. Seuss, you will realize that he loved controversy, a ruffle the feathers type. He wasn't afraid to stand out and make a point, even at the expense of offending someone.

I like Theodor.

1. THE NAME: Born in Massachessetts in 1904 as Theodor Suess Geisel. 
Theodor attended Dartmouth College Dartmouth College, where he became editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern, Dartmouth's humor magazine. After being banned from college activities for throwing a big party, he began signing his work with his middle name so that he could continue to work on the Jack-O-Lantern.



2. Horton Hears a Who - about Japan. 

The small country needed the support of a large country to get back on its feet after the devastation of WWII. Seuss wrote about Horton’s plight with the Who after a trip to war torn Hiroshima. The book was dedicated to a friend of his in Japan.

3. Yertle the Turtle- about  Hitler

Yertle, king of the pond, stands on his subjects in an attempt to reach higher than the moon—until the bottom turtle burps and he falls into the mud, ending his rule.

4. GREEN EGGS AND HAM,  a bet.  

In 1960, Bennett Cerf, Seuss’ editor, bet Seuss he couldn’t write a book using only 50 words. The resulting story was ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ which uses exactly 50 words.

5. NO KIDS. 
Dr. Seuss was married twice, but never had children. He was not particularly fond of spending time with them either. His widow, Audrey, said in an interview that he was slightly afraid of them. She said he was always thinking: "What might they do next? What might they ask next?" He would say, "you have em, I will amuse them".

---> At the time of his death on September 24, 1991, he had written and illustrated 44 children's books, including such all-time favorites as Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, the Places You'll Go, Fox in Socks, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His books had been translated into more than 15 languages. Over 200 million copies had found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Green Eggs and Ham is the third largest selling book in the English language. 

Thanks Dr. Seuss!