Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. As a child, Theodor, who was called Ted, showed an interest in drawing and language. When he was a young man, he studied English at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.  There he became the editor of the school’s magazine where he used the pen name of Dr. Seuss for the first time.

After his studies, Ted moved to New York City, where he was a cartoonist for Judge magazine. He also started working in the advertising industry. During World War II, he drew hundreds of political cartoons and also helped make training materials for the United States Army.

Later, he decided to try his hand at writing and illustrating books for children. His first book, “To Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street,” was rejected more than 20 times before finally being accepted and published.

One of Dr. Seuss’s most famous books, “The Cat in the Hat” was written in the 1950s. At the time, many youth were reluctant to read. Some said it was because books for kids were boring and couldn’t keep their interest or attention. 

Dr. Seuss created “The Cat in the Hat” to be exciting, fun and easy to read. It was well received. He went on to write “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Fox in Socks” and many others. He ended up writing more than 60 books.

His silly rhymes, playful illustrations, interesting characters and underlying themes made his books popular for their time and endearing classics for today.

Mr. Geisel earned many awards in his lifetime including seven honorary doctorates, an Oscar, two Emmys, a Pulitzer Prize, a New York Library Literary Lion, three Caldecott Honor Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Laura Ingalls Wilder award from the American Library Association. This award is for an author or illustrator who has made “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Theodor Seuss Geisel died on Sept. 24, 1991, at the age of 87. During his life, he changed children’s literature. He made it silly, fun and full of encouragement and wisdom. He left behind a legacy of the love of reading and books.

He said, “You can find magic wherever you look, sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” 

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for creating so much magic in the lives of children yesterday and today.