Lesson One
Dr. Seuss is the pen name of an individual who wrote more than 60 children’s books between 1921 and `1991. That individual’s real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. His books have become very popular, and they include Horton Hears a Who! (1954), The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960), The Lorax (1971), and Oh, the Places You'll Go! (1990). Geisel authored and illustrated just about all of his books and sold over 600 million copies of them. The books he wrote were also translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death in 1991. This means that people in other parts of the world (outside of the United States) who spoke other languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and others, were able to read his stories. Some of his books were also adapted into animated films and television specials like those included in this Holiday Special Assignment.
But what is a pen name, you might ask. A pen name is a name that is adopted by an author and printed on the title page of a book in place of their real name. Authors use pen names for many different reasons. They might want to remain anonymous as a writer of a particular work. They might want to distinguish a particular book or sample writing from something else they have written or plan to write. They may want to disguise their identity, gender, race, ethnicity, or national origin, or for other reasons. We know that Geisel’s full name includes the name Seuss as his middle name – Theodor Seuss Geisel. We also know that Seuss was his mother’s maiden name. However, we do not know why he chose to write his books with the name Dr. Seuss. His biographical information on Wikipedia does not state this. However, it does let us know that “Dr. Seuss” was not the only pen name that Geisel used to publish his works. He also authored books as Theo. LeSieg and one as Rosetta Stone.
Dr. Seuss’s Books are Educational
Dr. Seuss’s books are known to be interesting, entertaining, and also educational. In fact, Geisel began writing his books to help children learn to read in a more entertaining and memorable way. Educators have been using his books in their classrooms for many years to help children become better readers. The books offer a range of benefits for literacy development such as practice in reading and writing sight words and consonant blends, and phonics, which is the relationship between sounds and written letters. Geisel’s books also support foundational reading skills through distinctive rhyme patterns, build comprehension skills with cause and effect relationships, and enrich vocabulary development via contextual word introduction and playful language. His popular works can be found on the shelves in most school and public libraries. They are also usually kept in stock at local bookstores.
Read Across America
National Read Across America Day is a National Education Association (NEA) initiative that began on March 2, 1998, which was Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The initiative began to encourage reading and to promote literacy. It was later expanded into a year-long program with special celebrations in March as National Reading Month. The NEA partnered with Dr. Seuss Enterprises on the venture from 1997 to 2018, when the contract ended.
Collector's Items
Dr. Seuss’s books have also become collector’s items. It is important to note that officially, the rights to the books and related media (films, TV shows, stage productions, exhibitions, digital media, licensed merchandise and other strategic partnerships) are owned by Dr. Seuss Enterprises. However, according to a popular online investment magazine, the resale value for first editions of his books is between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on the condition and the rarity of the book. The video below was published on YouTube by Forbes in 2020. The video features revenue and financial information about the works of Dr. Seuss just since his death in 1991. This and other biographical information lets us know that the popularity of Dr. Seuss’s works made him a rich man and his legacy will live on.
Have fun learning!