Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss is among the most significant and yet overlooked revolutionaries of our time. His fame is a story of surviving on his remarkable wits and persistence. Though he was not actually a doctor, and lacked any real artistic education, his mark on the world is unmistakable. He was a man who followed a dream to the utmost and reaped every possible benefit. Intrinsic in each of his works, however, is a deeply felt sense of charity.

Seuss had not intended to be an illustrator, but an educator; he abandoned the latter for the former, though the influence of his own education in his work is difficult to miss. His first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, examines a child's view of a simple event and was eventually hailed as one of the more imaginative books of the time. After receiving an excellent review in a study about his field, he devoted his talent entirely to children's literature. It had become obvious that stories were Seuss' muse, and he had already become the master of his craft.

The Cat In The Hat, Seuss' first smashing success, was requested by both Houghton Mifflin and Random House after seeing his previous work. He was given a list of 220 vocabulary words to introduce into the text. The story came about after he rhymed every single one. It was an instant hit, and though it was never accepted as a primer in the education system, it continues to be widely and frequently bought throughout the world.

Seuss' creativity begat both increased reading rates and book availability. Random House's line of Beginner Books was created by publisher Bennett Cerf after betting Seuss that he couldn't write a successful book with less than fifty words. Green Eggs and Ham proved him wrong, and was one of the first titles the line carried.

Seuss was extraordinary in that his work drastically altered the world around him, and he used this power for good. He enjoyed creating books that encouraged reading, and having mastered his uniquely simplistic premise, he expanded his teaching repertoire from basic skills to moral stories. The generations of children who learned about simple phonics and rhyme in his lower-level books soon became those who obtained life lessons in a similar manner. The Lorax, a story written and illustrated in traditional Seussian style, was inspired by the billboards and construction that were invading the tranquility of his home in La Jolla. Rather than simply relaying information, it ends on a note that encourages thought: the message of the dystopian, polluted world described therein is that such a place can exist, but is also entirely preventable. His most controversial children's work, The Butter Battle Book, was written in 1984 about the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The battle it details is superfluous, taking place between identical people who happen to butter their toast on different sides. Though not identical to the troubles the US faced at the time, it delicately deals with war on a mature and philosophical level, and remains a bestseller among both children and adults to this day. Love of Dr. Seuss has not only encouraged more frequent reading, but a sense of activism and worldly knowledge uncommon in his target audience.

Seuss' combined devotion and artistic genius has brought him multiple recognitions, including an Oscar, Two Emmys, and a Peabody for the stories he has written and animated, a Pulitzer Prize, a New York Library Literary Lion, three Caldecott Honor Awards, a Laura Ingalls Wilder award, and even his own star on the Hollywood walk of fame. In 2004, the American Library Association created an award in his name, to be given annually to the authors of the best works for beginning readers. All told, Dr. Seuss worked 53 years in the art form he loved most, and received generous compensation for the good he was spreading.

There is no telling where following one's muse will lead. Worldwide fame came to Dr. Seuss due to both his talent and his generosity of spirit. Seuss revolutionized beginning reading, turning it from a starched, overly realistic practice into something that children can actually enjoy. He mastered the art of amusing while simultaneously encouraging thought, turning generation after generation of humans into a more imaginative race.