Dr. Seuss Wrote Children's Books But He Had No Children

If I asked you who Theodor Seuss Geisel was, you would probably shake your head in dismay. However, if I told you I was referring to Dr. Seuss, you would say, "Oh, yes, my children have books written by Dr. Seuss."

Geisel wrote under several different pen names, including Theo LeSieg, which is Geisel spelled backward. He used Rosetta Stone, Theophrastus Seuss, and he is well known as Dr. Seuss.

Many think Dr. Seuss was a real doctor, but he was not a doctor at all. Seuss was his middle name and his mother's maiden name. He added the title “doctor” before Seuss while in college to lend credibility to his writings and characters. His father wanted him to get a doctorate, but he never did.

Dr. Seuss, who is well known for writing children's books, never had any children of his own. His first wife, Helen Geisel, couldn't have children. She committed suicide. Dr. Seuss had no children with his second wife either.

When he was asked how he could connect with children even though he had none of his own, he said, “You have ‘em, and I’ll entertain ‘em.”

Dr. Seuss' Books and Other Writings

Not only was Dr. Seuss a writer of 46 children's books, but he was also a cartoonist. Even though Geisel is best known for his children's books, he also wrote about 60 books, including humorous articles, illustrations, and poems. Dr. Seuss's works have sold over 600 million copies worldwide.

Dr. Seuss' first book was originally a poem that later became his very first book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street." It was rejected 27 times. Then he wrote three more children's books, two of which were written in prose.

Almost every household has at least one of Dr. Seuss' books, especially if there are children in the house.

How Dr. Seuss Got His Start

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904, and died September 24, 1991, at the age of 87 because of throat cancer. His birthday is still celebrated around the world, and he is honored for the many books he wrote for other people's children.

Dr. Seuss got his start in writing children's books in May 1954, when Life magazine published an article reporting that children were not learning because children's books were boring.

The Director of Education, William Ellsworth Spaulding, gave Dr. Seuss a list of 348 words that were thought to be easy for first graders to recognize. Then he asked Dr. Seuss to write a book using only 250 of those words.

Spaulding instructed Dr. Seuss to "write a book children can't put down." Nine months later, Dr. Seuss completed "The Cat in the Hat." He used only 236 of the 250 required number of words.

Book Written on a Dare

One of Dr. Seuss' popular books was written on a dare. His publisher bet him that he couldn’t write a book using only 50 different words.

Taking his publisher up on the bet, the writer wrote a silly little book to make learning to read more exciting for children. They loved to read the silly tale about a picky eater in "Green Eggs and Ham."

The story is about an unnamed character who was challenged to try a plate of green eggs and ham. The character refuses at first, saying he didn't like them. In the end, he agrees to try the green eggs and ham and discovers that he liked them after all.

The book was first published on August 12, 1960. It has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

Dr. Seuss was against having a moral in mind when he wrote. He said, "Kids can see a moral coming a mile off." Also, he never wrote about political, religious, or social issues.

How Dr. Seuss' Birthday Is Celebrated

In honor of Dr. Seuss, every year on March 2, children and adults celebrate National Read Across America Day, created by the National Education Association.