Dr. Seuss's Children's Books

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By stephhicks68


The number of children's books being published each year seems to be rapidly increasing. The youth sections of bookstores are hardly able to keep up with the volume of works being produced annually - some by very talented authors and illustrators. However, if you are going to leave some room on your bookshelf for the very best children's books, your collection will not be complete without at least three or four selections from the popular works of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.

This beloved children's author and illustrator started publishing books in 1937, with the release of And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street. Overall, he published 44 books, including several works that appeal to young adults and children, alike. Dr. Seuss is known for his creative, outlandish creatures, and sing-song rhyming writing style. Its astounding that, despite the world-wide popularity of Dr. Seuss's works, he never won a literary award.

Dr. Seuss started his career as an editorial cartoonist in the early 1920s. Once he turned to writing and illustrating children's books in the late 1930s, he published several books before World War II. He took a brief hiatus during the war, and returned to publishing books for children in the late 1940s. The majority of his works were published over an approximately 25 year period, through the 1960s.


A collection of Dr. Seuss's most popular characters
A collection of Dr. Seuss's most popular characters

Sam I Am - Green Eggs and Ham
Sam I Am - Green Eggs and Ham

Seuss was instrumental in the cause of childhood illiteracy. In 1954, he responded to a report of the issue in Life magazine and set about publishing Beginner Books that would be easy to read. The most famous of these works include "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham." Green Eggs and Ham is said to have only 50 different words in the entire book.

Dr. Seuss's writing style is more complex than it might appear to the average reader. The majority of his works were written in anapestic tetrameter, which is a rhythmic composition of two weak beats followed by a strong beat. This is best illustrated by a line from "If I Ran the Circus." In ALL the whole TOWN the most WONderful SPOT. Seuss's successful use of the meter thwarted would-be imitators who could not effectively write in this constrained manner.

Seuss also used trochaic tetrameter (strong, weak, strong, weak beats) and iambic tetrameter, which is generally the reverse of trochaic tetrameter (weak, strong, weak, strong beats). Re-read some of his works out loud and you'll discover and enjoy his creative genius.

The Sneetches: Part 1


Commemorative Stamp: Released March 2, 2004
Commemorative Stamp: Released March 2, 2004

To memorialize Dr. Seuss's passing in 1991, schools in the United States hold an annual event called Read Across America. Each spring, reading festivals, contests and book sales are held to encourage reading to and with young children. The fight against illiteracy continues in Dr. Seuss's honor. On March 2, 2004, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative on the 100th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's birth.

Although he never had children of his own, Dr. Seuss successfully drew many young readers to his books. Of course, a number of these popular works have been made into videos, and a few into full-length studio releases. There is even a Broadway production of "Suessical the Musical"! I still maintain that the best way to enjoy Dr. Seuss is to pick up a hard back edition of one of his books, and read the enchanting stories aloud.

In no particular order, these are my top choices of Dr. Seuss books:

  • The Cat in the Hat
  • Green Eggs and Ham
  • The Lorax
  • Oh, the Places You'll Go!
  • Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
  • Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
  • Horton Hatches an Egg
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
  • Sneetches and Other Stories
  • Did I Ever Tell you How Lucky You Are?

I selected these works for a variety of reasons: ease of reading (for young children), amusing illustrations, ear-whig rhymes (the ones that you cannot get out of your head) and enduring social messages.

The Lorax
The Lorax

Dr. Seuss's works will likely endure as classics over the years, with the stories and characters being handed down from generation to generation. You can read them here or there, and you can read them anywhere!

Pick up your favorite story tonight and sit down to enjoy it once again. I'll bet you have a Dr. Seuss book somewhere in your home!

Green Eggs and Ham


The Best of Dr. Seuss The Best of Dr. Seuss
Price: $12.28
List Price: $19.98
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss - The Cat's Playhouse The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss - The Cat's Playhouse
Price: $0.85
List Price: $9.95
Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham and Other Favorites (Grinch Night) Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham and Other Favorites (Grinch Night)
Price: $3.74
List Price: $9.99
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Deluxe Edition) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Deluxe Edition)
Price: $9.90
List Price: $19.98
In Search of Dr. Seuss In Search of Dr. Seuss
Price: $3.75
List Price: $19.98
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss - The Cat's Fun House The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss - The Cat's Fun House
Price: $2.99
List Price: $9.95

Comments

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Olive S. profile image

Olive S.  says:
5 months ago

* whimper* Stttteeeeeeph, I was doing a dr. suess hub. =( *whimper, lies on the ground and has a temper trantum* Do you think it is okay? I have a list of dr. suess books and tell a little about him. Dr Suess. is it okay you think? great hub by the way

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
5 months ago

Of course, Olive! Just make yours different than mine. Sorry!!! :-)

amy jane profile image

amy jane  says:
5 months ago

Great hub, Steph! I love Suess and so do my kids. My personal favorite is "What Was i Afraid of?" But we call it "The Green Pants Story." One of my daughters loves "The Sneetches" and has it memorized. She has nick named my husband the-fix-it-up-chappy :)

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
5 months ago

Thank you Amy Jane - it was so fun to write this up. That's a really cute nickname for your husband!

Bob Ewing profile image

Bob Ewing  says:
5 months ago

Dr. Suess a long time favourite, great hub.

In The Doghouse profile image

In The Doghouse  says:
5 months ago

I love Dr. Suess!! Great HUB.

Peter M. Lopez profile image

Peter M. Lopez  says:
5 months ago

Some of my favorite books are still Suess books.

ripplemaker profile image

ripplemaker  says:
5 months ago

We have Dr. Seuss books in our mini-library. It's kind of expensive to buy it from the bookstore. But a person approached us and sold us 20 books at a much lower price. They were from the US and were "donated." The fee was to cover the freight. It was heaven sent. :-)

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
5 months ago

You got lucky, Ripplemaker! What a treat. Oh, and by the way everyone: TODAY is Read Across America day! Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!

elisabeth reid profile image

elisabeth reid  says:
5 months ago

Absolutely OUTSTANDING hub...great job! What a treat!

Thank you.

Leslie  says:
5 months ago

Awesome Hub! Love it!

Jeanette  says:
5 months ago

I love Dr. Seuss!!! Great job!

BRAIN   says:
5 months ago

LOVE BOOK TOTA

singpec476 profile image

singpec476  says:
5 months ago

Hi steph great hub who could not love Dr Seuss, even as adults the impact is still strong.

seamus profile image

seamus  says:
5 months ago

Perfect hub topic! Dr. Seuss wrote some of my favorite books.

Gerg profile image

Gerg  says:
4 months ago

My very favorite books to read to my kids. One more classic though that deserves mentioning:

On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond. A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.The turtles had everything turtles might need.And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

Gotta love it!

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

Oh yes! Yertle the Turtle! I love that one too. Just reading your comment makes me want to go pick up the book and read it again. Of course, I wonder how the Horton Hears a Who movie will be in the theatre. But the classics are best read, in my opinion.

MommyMandy profile image

MommyMandy  says:
4 months ago

Love Dr. Suess!!

krisee  says:
3 months ago

i LOVE DR.SEUSS HES BEEN MY FAV SiNCE i WAS YOUNGER MY FAVORiTE BOOK WAS THE FOOT BOOK BY HiM iT WAS THE VERY FiRST BOOK THAT i HAVE EVER READ AND UNDERSTOOD.....TO YOU DR.SEUSS.......

wannabwestern profile image

wannabwestern  says:
2 months ago

Great hub! I used to have some really nice illustrated books about Dr. Seuss in his Flit period. His advertisements were almost as amusing as his stories! I don't remember the title, though...Interesting stuff about the use of iambic pentameter and tetrameter. Isn't iambic pentameter the same meter used to write Shakespeare's and Browning's sonnets?

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
2 months ago

wannabwestern, you are lucky! keep those books - they are worth a lot. Yes, iambic pentameter is the same meter used by those "classic" authors. Dr. Seuss was a genuis.

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