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A brief, rough biography of Dr. Seuss
Here is a brief, mostly correct, overview of Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel.
NAME: Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
BORN: March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Mass.
DIED: September 24, 1991
EDUCATION: Graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925, also attended Oxford.
WORKS: Author of numerous titles including perennial children's favorite "The Cat In The Hat", whose writing was spurred after Geisel's publisher read an article in Life Magazine concerning children's illiteracy due to boring books. He sent Geisel a list of words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 (the publishers estimate of how many words a 1st grader could absorb) and write a book. 9 months later, using 220 of the words, "The Cat In The Hat Was Born". Other notables include "Green Eggs And Ham", and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".
At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927.
He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine
called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at
the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them.
Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity
Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made
reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice,
and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted
17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick,
Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vaction in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the
ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry
Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers
he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him,
and it went on to at least moderate success.
During WW II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain
Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won
the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler
Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon
called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy
among school children. The report said, among other things, that children
were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired
Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he
felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers
idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write
a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him
published The Cat in the Hat, which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book
using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham.
Cerf never paid the $50, btw...
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone
Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Following is a list of Seuss's books, with a numbered index to the names
of characters and unusual creatures found within them. Six of the books
were not indexed; others contained no pertinent characters or creatures to
index. THE TOUGH COUGHS AS HE PLOWS THE DOUGH is a collection of Seuss's
work in advertising and political cartoons, and as such also is not
indexed.
BOOKS:
1 -- And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street (1938)
2 -- Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1959)
3 -- The Butter Battle Book (1984)
4 -- The Cat in the Hat (1957)
5 -- The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book (1966)
6 -- The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (1968)
7 -- The Cat in the Hat Song Book (1967)
8 -- The Cat's Quizzer (1976) [not indexed]
9 -- Come Over To My House (1966)
10 -- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? (1973) [not indexed]
11 -- Dr. Seuss's ABC (1963)
12 -- Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book (1962)
13 -- The Eye Book (1968)
14 -- The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1938)
15 -- The Foot Book (1968)
16 -- Fox in Socks (1965)
17 -- Great Day For Up! (1974)
18 -- Green Eggs and Ham (1960)
19 -- Happy Birthday to You! (1959)
20 -- Hop on Pop (1963)
21 -- Horton Hatches The Egg (1940)
22 -- Horton Hears A Who (1954)
23 -- How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1957)
24 -- Hunches in Bunches (1982)
25 -- I Am Not Going To Get Up Today! (1987)
26 -- I Can Draw Myself (1970) [not indexed]
27 -- I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today (1969)
27a -- King Looie Katz
27b -- The Glunk That Got Thunk
28 -- I Can Read With My Eyes Shut (1978)
29 -- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew (1965)
30 -- If I Ran The Circus (1956)
31 -- If I Ran The Zoo (1950)
32 -- I Wish I Had Duck Feet (1965) [not indexed]
33 -- The King's Stilts (1939)
34 -- The Lorax (1971)
35 -- Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! (1972)
36 -- McElligot's Pool (1947)
37 -- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (1970)
38 -- My Book About Me, By Me Myself (1969)
39 -- Oh Say Can You Say (1979)
40 -- Oh, The Places You'll Go! (1990) [not indexed]
41 -- Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! (1975)
42 -- On Beyond Zebra (1955)
43 -- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960)
44 -- Scrambled Eggs Super! (1954)
45 -- The Seven Lady Godivas (1939)
46 -- Shape of Me and Other Stuff (1973)
47 -- The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961)
47a -- The Zax
47b -- Too Many Daves
47c -- What Was I Scared Of?
48 -- Ten Apples Up On Top (1961) [not indexed]
49 -- There's a Wocket In My Pocket (1974)
50 -- Thidwick, The Big-Hearted Moose (1948)
51 -- The Tooth Book (1981)
52 -- The Tough Coughs as He Ploughs The Dough (1987) [not indexed]
53 -- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories (1958)
53a-- Gertrude McFuzz
53b -- The Big Brag
54 -- You're Only Old Once! (1986)
CHARACTERS AND CREATURES:
Aaron, an alligator: 5
Abigail: 5
Aldermen: 1
Alice, a Hooded Klopfer: 19
Aunt Ada: 5
Aunt Annie: 11
Australian fish: 36
Beagle-Beaked-Bald-Headed Grinch: 44
Beft: 41
Bell ringer: 2
Bellar: 49
Ben: 16
Better Hunch: 24
Bicklebaum, Benjamin B.: 7
Biffer-Baum Birds: 12
Billings, Billy: 51
Bim: 16
Bingle Bug: 50
Bippo-No-Bungus: 31
Birthday Honk-Honker: 19
Blindfolded Bowman from Brigger-ba-Root: 30
Blinn, Pinner: 39
Blogg: 46
Bloogs: 41
Bofa: 49
Bolster: 30
Bombastic Aghast: 44
Briggs, Pete: 39
Brown Bar-ba-loots: 34
Brutus, a horse: 45
Bumble-Tub Club: 12
Captain of the Guards: 2, 14
Cat in the Hat: 4, 6
Catfish: 36
Chief Yookeroo: 3
Chief-in-charge-of-fish: 33
Chippendale Mupp: 12
Chuggs: 31
Circus Fish: 36
Clark: 43
Clover, a horse: 45
Collapsible Frink: 12
Cooper, Soapy: 39
Cubbins, Bartholomew: 2, 14
Curious Crandalls: 12
Dad: 1, 20
Dake: 53a
Daniel, the Kick-a-Poo Spaniel: 3
Dapples, a horse: 45
Dawf: 44
Dellar: 49
Dinn: 39
Diver Getz: 19
Diver Gitz: 19
Dog Fish: 36
Doo, David Donald: 11
Down Hunch: 24
Dr. Ballew: 54
Dr. Blinn: 54
Dr. Derring's Singing Herrings: 19
Dr. Diller: 54
Dr. Drew: 54
Dr. Fitzgerald: 54
Dr. Fitzpatrick: 54
Dr. Fitzsimmons: 54
Dr. Fonz: 54
Dr. Ginns: 54
Dr. McGrew: 54
Dr. McGuire: 54
Dr. McPherson: 54
Dr. Pollen: 54
Dr. Schmidt: 54
Dr. Sinatra: 54
Dr. Smoot: 54
Dr. Spreckles: 54
Dr. Sylvester: 54
Dr. Timpkins: 54
Dr. Tompkins: 54
Dr. Van Ness: 54
Dr. Von Eiffel: 54
Drew, Donald Driscoll: 51
Drum-tummied Snumm: 30
Dutter and Dutter, cake cutters: 19
East Beast: 39
Ed: 20
Eric: 33
Eskimo Fish: 36
Executioner: 14
Farmer: 36
Father of Nadd: 14
Father of the Father of Nadd: 14
Fibbel: 30
Fiffer-feffer-feff: 11
Findow: 49
Finney: 39
Fish: 4
Fizza-ma-wizza-ma-dill: 31
Flannel-Wing Jay: 44
Floob-Boober-Bab-Boober-Bubs: 42
Flummox: 30
Flunnel: 42
Flustard: 31
Foo-Foo the Snoo: 28
Foon: 30
Foona-Lagoona Baboona: 12
Four-Way Hunch: 24
Fox: 16
Fred: 39
Fritz: 39
Fuddnudler Brothers (Bipper, Bud, Skipper, Jipper, Jeffrey, Jud, Horatio,
Horace, Hendrix, Hud, Dinwoodie, Dinty, Dud, Fitzsimmon, Frederick,
Fud, Slinky, Stinkey, Stuart, Stud, Lud): 39
Funicular Goats: 19
Futzenfall, Fredric: 7
Gack: 43
Gasket: 31
Geeling 49
Gellar: 49
George: 46
Ghair: 49
Gherkin: 31
Glikker: 42
Glotz: 39
Glunk, The: 27b
Godiva, Arabella: 45
Godiva, Gussie: 45
Godiva, Hedwig: 45
Godiva, Lulu: 45
Godiva, Mitzi: 45
Godiva, Teenie: 45
Goo-Goose: 16
Gootch: 31
Gox: 43
Grand Duke Wilfred: 14
Grandpa: 3
Great Birthday Bird: 19
Grice: 44
Grickily Gractus: 44
Grinch: 23
Grizzly-Ghastly: 30
Grox: 39
Guff: 41
Gusset: 31
Ham-ikka-Schnim-ikka-Schnam-ikka-Schnopp: 44
Happy Hunch: 24
Harp-Twanging Snarp: 30
Herk-Heimer Sisters: 12
Herman, a squirrel: 60
High Gargel-orum: 42
Hilda Hen: 61
Hinkle-Horn Honkers: 12
Hippo-Heimers: 19
Homework Hunch: 24
Hoodwink: 30
Hooey, a parrot: 39
Hooper, Peter T.: 44
Hopp-Soup-Snoop Group: 12
Horton The Elephant: 21, 22
Huffle: 30
Humming-Fish: 34
Humpf-Humpf-a-Dumpfer: 42
Ichabod: 11
Iota: 31
Ish: 43
It-Kutch: 31
Itch-a-pods: 42
Jake the Pillow Snake: 28
Jedd: 12
Jeronimo: 6
Jertain: 49
Jibboo: 41
Jill-ikka-Jast: 44
Jim: 20
Jimbo Jones, jellyfish: 61
Jo-Jo: 22
Josts: 31
Joe: 43
Jogg-oons: 42
Jordan, Jerry: 11
Juggling Jott: 30
Katz, Blooie: 27a
Katz, Chooie: 27a
Katz, Fooie: 27a
Katz, Kooie: 27a
Katz, Looie, King of Katzen-Stein: 27a
Katz, Prooie: 27a
Katzen-bein, Zooie: 27a
King Birtram: 33
King Derwin of Didd: 2, 14
King's Magicians: 2, 14
Klopps, Katy: 51
Klotz: 39
Knox, Mr. and Mrs. J. Carmichael: 12
Knox, Nixie: 11
Knox: 16
Krauss, Kitty O'Sullivan: 41
Kweet: 44
Kwigger: 44
Lass-a-Jack: 44
Little Cats A-Z: 6
Liz: 44
Lolla-Lee-Lou: 63a
Long-Legger Kwong 44
Lopp, Little Lola: 11
Lorax: 34
Lord Droon: 33
Lord Godiva: 45
Luck, Luke: 16
Lunks: 31
Lurch: 30
Mack the Turtle: 63
Marco: 1
Marco: 36
Max, the dog: 23
Mayor of Who-Ville: 22
Mayor: 1
Mayzie Bird: 21
McBean, Sylvester McMonkey: 47
McCave, Dave (all 23 of them): 47b
McCobb, Mike: 61
McFuzz, Gertrude: 53a
McGrew, Gerald: 31
McGurk, Morris: 30
McPhail, Snorter and His Snore-a-Snort Band: 12
Mike: 43
Miss Becker: 54
Miss Fuddle-dee-Duddle: 42
Mooney, Marvin K: 35
Mop-Noodled Finch: 44
Moth-Watching Sneth: 44
Mr. Brown: 20, 37
Mr. Glotz: 61
Mr. Gump: 43
Mr. Sneelock: 30
Mrs. Brown: 20
Mrs. Kangaroo and child: 22
Mrs. McCave: 47b
Mrs. Umbroso: 36
Mt. Strookoo Cuckoo: 44
Mulligatawny: 31
Munch Hunch: 24
Nadd: 14
Natch: 31
Nathan, a war horse: 45
Nazzim of Bazzim: 42
Ned: 20, 43
Nellar: 49
Nerd: 31
Nerkle: 31
Nink: 49
Nizzards, black birds: 33
Nolster: 30
Nook Gase: 49
Nook: 43
Nooth Grush: 49
North-Going Zax: 47a
Norval: 64
Nupboard: 49
Nureau: 49
Nutch: 42
O'Dell, Conrad Cornelius O'Donald: 42
Obsk: 31
Ogler: 64
Once-ler, The: 34
Pam the clam: 51
Papa: 11
Parsifal, a horse: 45
Pat: 20
Patrol Cats: 33
Peeping Dick: 45
Peeping Drexel: 45
Peeping Frelinghuysen: 45
Peeping Harry: 45
Peeping Jack: 45
Peeping Tom: 45
Pelf: 44
Peter The Postman: 41
Plain-Belly Sneetches: 47
Pop: 20
Preep: 31
Proo: 31
Pup: 20
Quandary: 42
Queek, Quincy: 51
Queen of Quincy: 11
Quilligan quail: 29
Quimney: 49
Quiz-Docs: 54
Real Tough Hunch: 24
Red: 20
Red-Zoff, Jo: 12
Red-Zoff, Mo: 12
Right-Side-Up Song Girls: 3
Rink-Rinker-Fink: 41
Rolf the Walrus: 30
Ross, Rosy Robin: 11
Royal Coachman: 14
Royal Cook: 2
Royal Fiddlers: 2
Royal Laundress: 2
Royal Trumpeter: 2
Ruffle-Necked Sala-ma-goox: 44
Russian Palooski: 31
Ruthie: 51
Sally: 4, 6
Sam I Am: 18
Santa Claus: 6
Schmitz, Gen. Genghis Khan: 29
Schanck: 39
Sea Horse: 36
Seersucker: 31
Sgt. Mulvaney: 1
Shade-Roosting Quail: 44
Simon Sneath, the snail: 51
Single-File Zummzian Zuks: 44
Sir Alaric, keeper of the King's Records: 14
Sir Beers: 30
Sir Bopps: 30
Sir Dawkins: 30
Sir Hawkins: 30
Sir Hector: 30
Sir Jawks: 30
Sir Jeers: 30
Sir Snipps: 14
Sir Vector: 30
Sister: 27b
Skipper Zipp: 39
Skrink: 29
Skritz: 29
Slick, Silly Sammy: 9
Slow Joe Crow: 16
Smiling Sam, the crocodile: 51
Sneedle: 42
Sneetches: 47
Snell, Dr. Sam: 29
Snuvs: 41
Soobrian Snipe: 30
Sour Hunch: 24
South-Going Zax: 47a
South-West-Facing Cranes: 44
Spazzim: 42
Spookish Hunch: 24
Sporn, Sally Spingel Spungel: 7
Spotted Atrocious: 30
Spritz: 44
Star-Belly Sneetches: 47
Stroodel: 44
Sue: 16
Super Hunch: 24
Swomee-Swans: 34
Ted: 20
Tellar: 49
Thidwick, a horse: 45
Thidwick the Moose: 50
Thing One: 4
Thing Two: 4
Thing: 20
Thing-a-ma-Jigger: 36
Thnadners: 42
Through-horns-jumping Deer: 30
Thwerll: 31
Tick-tack-toe: 31
Time-Telling Fish: 19
Tizzle-Topped Grouse: 44
Tizzy: 44
To-an-Fro Marchers: 30
Tree-Spider: 60
Truffle: 30
Tufted Mazurka: 31
Twiddler Owl: 44
Umbus: 42
Uncle Terwilliger: 7
Uncle Ubb: 9
Up Hunch: 24
VanItch: 3
Van Vleck: 12
Very Odd Hunch: 24
Vinn, Vera Violet: 9
Vipper of Vipp: 41
Vlad-i-koff, Vlad, a black-bottom eagle: 22
Von Crandall: 64
von Schwinn, Gretchen: 39
Vrooms: 42
Vug: 49
Wasket: 49
Waterloo, Willy: 9
Wellar: 49
West Beast: 39
Whelden the Wheeler: 54
Who, Little Cindy-Lou: 23
Who-Bubs: 19
Wickersham Brothers: 22
Wiggins, Warren: 9
Wilberforce, Waldo: 7
Will: 20
Wily Walloo: 30
Wocket: 49
Wogs: 44
Woo, Waldo: 9
Woset: 49
Wumbus: 42
Wump: 43
Yekko: 42
Yeoman of the Bowmen: 14
Yeps: 49
Yertle the Turtle: 63
Ying: 43
Yink: 43
Yookie-Ann Sue: 3
Yooks: 3
Yop: 43
Yorgenson, Yolanda: 9
Yot: 49
Yottle: 49
Yuzz-a-ma-Tuzz: 42
Zable: 49
Zall: 49
Zamp: 49
Zans: 43
Zatz-it: 42
Zax: 47a
Zeds: 43
Zeep: 43
Zelf: 49
Zellar: 49
Ziff: 44
Zillow: 49
Zinn-a-Zu Bird: 50
Zizzer-zazzer-zuzz: 9
Zlock: 49
Zong: 41
Zooks: 3
Zoop-a-Zoop Troupe: 30
Zower: 49
Zuff: 44
Zummers: 19
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