From Publishers Weekly
In this authorized biography, California journalists Judith and Neil Morgan present a dutifully researched and intimate portrait of the late children's-book author and artist beloved by millions. Fans of The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and other classics may be surprised to learn that Dr. Seuss was terrified of children and had none of his own, and that writing verse was a supreme effort for him. While children's literature is Ted Geisel's principal claim to fame, his creative life was multifarious, including an apprenticeship with film director and army major Frank Capra during WWII and stints in advertising. The authors deftly evoke the settings where Geisel lived and worked, such as his hometown of Springfield, Mass.; Oxford, England, where he studied; and coastal La Jolla, Calif., where he spent roughly half his life. Friends of their subject, the Morgans also vividly depict a quiet but exuberant man with a keen wit and biting?though never mean-spirited?sense of humor. A pleasing combination of fact and anecdote, this volume is a fitting tribute. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This witty and charming biography of the highly original genius, Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel), maintains suspense as the authors unfold the facts of his life and art. It is full of wry Seussian limericks and interesting anecdotes, among which are his failed invention of an Infantograph and the mad pranks played by Seuss on rival artists. The legions of Seuss admirers are treated to accounts of the inspiration for and the history behind each of his famous books. The authors, seasoned journalists and writers themselves, who are neighbors of Geisel, have given us the only authorized biography of this famous American. As such, it is of interest to the three generations of men and women who grew and continue to grow up reciting Dr. Seuss's rhymes.Marie L. Lally, Alabama Sch. of Mathematics & Science, MobileCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Midwest Book Review
This is the first and only biographical sketch of Dr. Seuss and is recommended reading for fans. The authors have been close friends of Seuss for almost thirty years: their insights and familiarity enhance a fine presentation which includes some of his personal notes and writings and plenty of unusual lore.


Charles M. Schulz
"[This book] answers all the questions for those of us in cartooning who admire his work. It is a real treasure."


Los Angeles Times
"This engaging new biography ... is neatly woven with little-known facts, obscure Seuss doggerel not intended for children and such tragic articles as [his first wife's] suicide note."


Chuck Jones
"I worked with Dr. Seuss. Reading the Morgans' warm and thoughtful biography was like being with him again."


San Francisco Chronicle
"Full of fascinating detail and personal insight about the good 'doctor.'"


Book Description
The definitive biography of the beloved children's author re-released in celebration of the new musical "Seussical". Horton, Thidwick, Yertle, the Lorax, the Grinch, Sneetches, and the Cat in the Hat are just a handful of the bizarre and beloved characters Theodor S. Geisel (1904-1991), alias Dr. Seuss, created in his 47 children's books, from 1937's And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street to 1990's Oh, the Places You'll Go!. During his lifetime Dr. Seuss was honored with numerous degrees, three Academy Awards, and a Pulitzer, but the man himself remained a reclusive enigma. In this first and only biography of the good doctor, the authors, his close friends for almost thirty years, have drawn on their firsthand insights as well as his voluminous papers; the result is an illuminating, intimate portrait of a dreamer who saw the world "through the wrong end of a telescope," and invited us to enjoy the view.

ANNOTATION

California journalists Neil and Judith Morgan present the authorized biography of the late Ted Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, the phenomenally successful, beloved author and illustrator of dozens of memorable children's books, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. 16 pages of photos.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This captivating biography of the bestselling children's author in history reveals at last the man who had a unique influence on four generations of Americans who championed children's rights before that phrase was familiar, and who revolutionized the way children learn to read. The very name Dr. Seuss inevitably provokes a smile and some recollection of a beloved character - Horton, perhaps, or Thidwick or the Cat in the Hat. Yet during his lifetime their creator was an enigma. In his years at Dartmouth, Oxford, New York, and Hollywood, mingling with the famous and notorious, he remained reclusive and plagued by self-doubts, but never lost his love of childish playfulness. Was Ted Geisel really a genius, as his publisher Bennett Cerf believed, or, as he himself always insisted, just lucky? In forty-seven books of nonsensical charm, from And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street in 1937 to Oh, the Places You'll Go! in 1990, his recurring theme was that children had an inalienable right to mischief, love, and hope. But many librarians and teachers considered him a subversive influence when his revolutionary Cat in the Hat signaled the demise of dreary Dick-and-Jane primers. Ted Geisel was a dreamer who saw the world "through the wrong end of a telescope." In his eighty-seven years, he met seven U.S. presidents, but was more proud of the fact that he had seen Halley's Comet twice. An obsessively private man, he rarely revealed anything of his personal and professional agonies - or of the bawdy Seussian verses he wrote for friends. Judith and Neil Morgan knew Ted Geisel in the latter half of his life, and here they merge their firsthand insights with scholarly research, drawing material from hundreds of letters and interviews, as well as from their subject's notes for an unpublished autobiography. They had full access to Geisel's voluminous papers, illuminating his relationship with both of his wives and providing instructive glimpses of his creative processes

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this authorized biography, California journalists Judith and Neil Morgan present a dutifully researched and intimate portrait of the late children's-book author and artist beloved by millions. Fans of The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and other classics may be surprised to learn that Dr. Seuss was terrified of children and had none of his own, and that writing verse was a supreme effort for him. While children's literature is Ted Geisel's principal claim to fame, his creative life was multifarious, including an apprenticeship with film director and army major Frank Capra during WWII and stints in advertising. The authors deftly evoke the settings where Geisel lived and worked, such as his hometown of Springfield, Mass.; Oxford, England, where he studied; and coastal La Jolla, Calif., where he spent roughly half his life. Friends of their subject, the Morgans also vividly depict a quiet but exuberant man with a keen wit and biting-though never mean-spirited-sense of humor. A pleasing combination of fact and anecdote, this volume is a fitting tribute. (Apr.)

Library Journal

This witty and charming biography of the highly original genius, Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel), maintains suspense as the authors unfold the facts of his life and art. It is full of wry Seussian limericks and interesting anecdotes, among which are his failed invention of an Infantograph and the mad pranks played by Seuss on rival artists. The legions of Seuss admirers are treated to accounts of the inspiration for and the history behind each of his famous books. The authors, seasoned journalists and writers themselves, who are neighbors of Geisel, have given us the only authorized biography of this famous American. As such, it is of interest to the three generations of men and women who grew and continue to grow up reciting Dr. Seuss's rhymes.-Marie L. Lally, Alabama Sch. of Mathematics & Science, Mobile

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

I worked with Dr. Seuss. Reading the Morgan's warm and thoughtful biography was like being with him again. — Chuck Jones