Brilliant Author Series: Dr. Seuss

March 2, 2010

Today, March 2nd, is National Read Across America Day! The National Education Association created this day to celebrate and commemorate the life of Dr. Seuss, as today is his birthday.
Before Theodor Seuss Giesel (or Dr. Seuss, as we know him today), single-handedly reinvented the children’s book, boring, lifeless readers were all that were available.

In May 1954, Life Magazine published a report concluding that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. In response, William Spaulding, a textbook editor, compiled a list of 348 words important for first-graders to recognize. He then asked Geisel (or Dr. Seuss) to cut the list to 250 words and write a book using only those words. Spaulding challenged Geisel to “bring back a book children can’t put down.” Geisel delivered nine months later and using only 236 of the words given to him, gifting the world with The Cat In The Hat. The book was an instant classic — a fun, imaginative story that was easy to read and thus a hit for early readers.*

The beginning 9 books below are my all-time favorites from when I was an adorable; the entire list by Dr. Seuss are located below. Please find your favorites and introduce your adorables to them! Like today. These books are sooo worth it.

So here’s the rest of Dr. Seuss’ work, all linked to Amazon.
And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street , 1937
Bartholomew and the Oobleck, 1949
The Butter Battle Book, 1984
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, 1958
The Cat’s Quizzer, 1976
Daisy-Head Mayzie , 1995
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?, 1973
Dr. Seuss’s ABC, 1963
Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, 1962
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, 1938
The Foot Book, 1968
Fox in Socks, 1965
Great Day for Up!, 1974
Happy Birthday to You!, 1959
Horton Hatches the Egg, 1940
Horton Hears A Who!, 1954
Hunches in Bunches, 1982
I Am Not Going To Get Up Today!, 1987
I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories, 1969
I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!, 1978
If I Ran the Circus, 1956
If I Ran the Zoo, 1950
The Lorax, 1971
Marvin K.Mooney Will You Please Go Now!, 1972
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, 1970
My Book about Me: By Me, Myself , 1969
Oh, Say Can You Say?, 1979
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, 1990
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, 1975
On Beyond Zebra!, 1955
Scrambled Eggs Super, 1953
Seven Lady Godivas, 1987
The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, 1973
The Sneetches and Other Stories, 1969
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!, 1974
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, 1948
Wet Pet, Dry Pet, Your Pet, My Pet, 2005
You’re Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children, 1986

Collaborations
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!, 1998

So happy reading today, and remember it all started with Seuss!

What’s your favorite Seuss?

* Where would I be in this world without Wikipedia??  Thanks!

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Category: Brilliant Authors, Holidays
Tags: Brilliant Author Series, Dr. Seuss, National Read Across America Day |