Thursday, March 22, 2012

S is for Seuss


One of the first memories I have is of sitting on my mom's lap while she read Dr. Seuss to me. There was something magical about the way he put words together. Something that keeps kids and adults alike entranced. Even now he remains one of my all time favorite authors.

In the simplest sense, his books are highly entertaining. Lyrical words, clever rhymes, and fabulous pictures combine to keep your attention. Digging deeper, his books address war, bullying, treating others as you want to be treated, and so much more. The messages are timeless.

If he couldn't find the right word to express an idea...he made one up. It is from Dr. Seuss that we get the word 'nerd'. Sometimes he broke the rules, and made breaking the rules work.

If you've ever read one of his books outloud, you know it's definitely a workout for your tongue.

His first book, "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street" was published back in 1937 - 75 years ago - after being rejected by anywhere from 20 to 40 publishers. (The number varies depending on where you do your research.) He went on to publish dozens of others stories for 'children and their lucky parents' (as the back of some of his books state). His books have been made into tv shows, feature movies, and cartoons, allowing for new ways for the colorful stories to be experienced.

All in all, Theodor Geisel is truly an inspiration to us all.


Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
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5 comments:

  1. Ana MorganMarch 22, 2012 at 6:07 AM

    Green Eggs and Ham was the book my kids 'pretended' to read. What a gift Dr. Seuss gave to us.
    I can't understand the backlash to the Lorax film.

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  2. Paula MartinMarch 22, 2012 at 6:14 AM

    I don't think Seuss's books were available here when I was a child, and I don't remember them from when my daughters were small either. In fact, I've never ever read one! Seems like my educations has been sadly lacking.

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  3. Jennifer WilckMarch 22, 2012 at 6:29 AM

    I never liked them as a kid because they didn't have a plot (to me), but I love them as an adult and a parent. My office used to give out Oh The Places You'll Go when you got a promotion.

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  4. Debra St. JohnMarch 22, 2012 at 7:47 AM

    Ana, Dr. Seuss books are the perfect ones to 'pretend' to read as a kid!

    Paula, You really should try to pick one up and read it just for fun!

    Jennifer, how fun to get a promotion AND a Seuss book!

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  5. Rosemary GemmellMarch 23, 2012 at 2:15 AM

    Thanks for reminding us what a great writer he was!

    ReplyDelete

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