Dr. Seuss/Theodor Geisel
(1904–1991)
Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father ran the local zoo, and Theodor began drawing fantastic animals while he was still a child. An art teacher told him that he would never learn to draw, and twenty-nine publishers rejected his first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Geisel stuck it out and went on to write and illustrate more than forty books for children. Judged by the number of books he has sold—at least eighty million copies—he is perhaps the most popular writer in the world.
"Dr." is a title that he gave himself. His father had always wanted him to be a doctor, so instead, Geisel attached "Dr." to his pen name. He also wrote under the name Theo LeSieg—"Geisel" spelled backward.
Dr. Seuss is famous for his rhymes, his funny made-up words, and his fantastic cartoon characters.
