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Home , Al Hirschfeld, Felicia Bond, FLIT, Ludwig Bemelmans, Whoville

YOUTH November 2019

Children Book Illustrators: The inside look into their life, and their books

Felecia Bond

Anna Dewdney

Dr. Seuss

1 TABLE OF 12 Silly CONTENTS Seuss 20 Felecia Bond 4 Anna Dewdney

2 3 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

WHO IS SHE?

Felicia Bond, illustrator, was born to American parents in Yokohama, Japan, where she lived for two years. Bond grew up in Bronxville, and , Texas with her four Playful brothers and two sisters. She is the second child in a family of seven. It was Felecia while living in New York that she observed a beam of light coming in her bedroom window at age five and knew that art was her calling. Bond cites numerous inspirations as a child, among them the covers of , the drawings in her Girl Scout Handbook, the sketches her mother drew for her and her siblings, and the since its publication and If You Give a addition to the If You Give A . . . series, BondBy Jane Smith art in children’s books. Bond was Mouse a Cookie has sold over a million she has also illustrated, among other especially drawn to the painterly, copies. At age twenty-two is when she titles, Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise expressive style of moved to with nine Brown and Little Porcupine’s Christmas in his books and the hundred dollars and worked several by Joseph Slate. She’s the author and sensitive ink drawings by Garth jobs, including illustrating botanical illustrator of the Poinsettia books, The Williams in Charlotte’s Web and books, working as a freelance scene Day It Rained Hearts, The Halloween Stuart Little. For many years she closely painter in a children’s museum, and Play, and Tumble Bumble. She lives in examined the work of Charles Schulz, being an art director for Margaret K. Santa Fe, New Mexico. renowned for his comic strip, McElderry Books. During this time and credits him as making a lasting HOW IT ALL BEGAN Bond took classes at The School of impression on her. grew Visual Arts and put together a portfolio up in New York and Texas. As a child, She graduated from the University of of work intended for children’s books. nearly every kind of children’s book art Texas at Austin, where she received a Bond was offered five contracts in short degree in Fine order and left behind her original idea Arts, and lived of pursuing her painting. “BOND WAS OFFERED FIVE CONTRACTS IN SHORT for ten years in ORDER AND LEFT BEHIND HER ORIGINAL IDEA OF New York City, HER PURSUING HER PAINTING.” writing and BOOKS illustrating By the time books and Felicia Bond working as an art director in a was exciting to her, from the paintings was twenty-six publishing company. She is one of the in Madelineto Charles Schulz’s the first book best-selling children’s book writers and Peanuts. “I loved it all,” she says. “I Bond both illustrators in the world. Her first work, couldn’t wait to grow up and be an wrote and Poinsettia and Her Family, has become artist.” Felicia Bond is the illustrator of illustrated, numerous books for children. In a children’s book staple in the 15 years 4 5 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

Poinsettia and Her also included it on her list Oprah’s Fa- world including Japan, where an entire Family, had been vorite Things from A-Z in that same Tokyo city bus was painted with Bond’s published. Four more year. If You Give a Moose a Muffin was images of Mouse. Mouse also made books of Bond’s own the answer to a question on Jeopardy!. it to the White House; in Laura Bush’s quickly followed Many of the books in the If You Give... Celebration of American Authors at the before Bond illustrated Book™ series have been adapted into 2001 Presidential Inauguration Felicia If You Give a Mouse a plays for children’s theaters across the Bond and Laura N u m e r o f f If You Cookie in 1985. Bond country, The Bronx Zoo in New York were among those honored for their If has also illustrated, among other works, Big Red Barn, written by , The Big Green Pocketbook, written by Candice Ransom, Little Porcupine’s Give A... Christmas, written by Joseph Slate and The Right Number of Elephants, written by Jeff Sheppard. Felicia Bond is both author and illustrator of numerous other works, including Poinsettia and her Family, Poinsettia and the Firefighters, The Day It Rained Hearts, The Halloween Play, Tumble Bumble, and Big Hugs, Little Hugs.

WHAT SHE IS KNOWN FOR

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the first collaborative work written by and illustrated by Felicia Bond, quickly became established as a popular favorite and is today considered a contemporary classic, with over four million copies sold. A series of seventeen titles followed, with sales exceeding sixteen million. They have been translated into more than thirteen languages. The If You Give... featured Felicia Bond’s art in their You Give... Book™ series, and the Book™ series has garnered Children’s Zoo for one year and Bond’s former First Lady writes that the Bush numerous awards, and their popularity artwork has been used to create family cat India’s favorite book was is witnessed by their consistent in the wings of children’s hospitals. The If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. A presence on Best If You Give... Book™ series has fans bronze sculpture of her sleeping on the Seller List. Many of the books were the of all ages from all over the book is included in the George W. Bush #1 best-sellers in the Presidential Library. First Lady category. The If You Give... Book™ Michele Obama read If You Give a series has become so embedded in Mouse a Cookie on The White house our culture that If You Give a Mouse lawn during the 2009 Easter Egg Roll. a Cookiewas mentioned in the movie The website mousecookiebooks.com, Airforce One and chose posted by its publisher, HarperCollins, If You Give a Pig a Pancake as one of is an interactive site for children, her favorite things in 2000. Winfrey parents, teachers, and librarians alike. 6 7 YOUTH Magazine Novemeber 2019

THE PRESENT “There was virtually HER DESIGN nothing that didn’t excite me in the art I Felicia Bond continues to write as well In her illustrations Felicia Bond’s experienced as a child — as illustrated, and is currently signature style is characterized by rich, everything from the expressive scheduled to create the art for an vibrant watercolor, often with a black free-spirited paintings by Ludwig upcoming book with HarperCollins, A line used for graphic effect. Bond’s use Bemelmans in his Madeline books to Mother’s Goodnight, written by of white space is often similarly the graphic and verbal wit and Margaret Wise Brown. A new book in applied, especially in her distinctive understatement of Charles Schulz in his the If You Give... Book™ series (If You design of the books in the If You Give... Peanuts strip — I loved it all. I couldn’t Give a Mouse a Brownie) is due to Book™ series. Bond’s book Big Hugs, knees and bony elbows and something wait to grow up and be an artist!” be published in 2014. Ms. Bond says, Little Hugs uses mixed media collage, like a coat-rack on my head.” As for the which reflects her painting style from pig in If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Bond her early twenties. Bond personalizes says, “I didn’t want her to be a typical many of her illustrations by discreetly chunky pink pig…. I added some fuzz writing the names of family, friends, and a few spots.” She also decided that and pets in the art. Felicia Bond has the pig would not write four or forty said she started doing this years ago, letters to her relatives, but four inspired by the cross-hatched ink hundred! “So I had to put her in a artwork in The New York Times by wheelbarrow,” she explains. , who hid his HER WRITING daughter’s name, Nina, at least once in almost every drawing. Bond’s writing style varies in content Bond puts a lot of thought into but is often narrative and character the characters she draws. When based. Poinsettia and Her Family and she drew the moose in If You Poinsettia and the Firefighters came N.Y. On this particular day, Bond was lio of her work and made the rounds Give a Moose a Muffin, she says: about from her own childhood. Other standing in the doorway of her of children’s-book publishers. She got “I imagined what it would be like stories began as an aimless doodle, bedroom in the late afternoon, her her first book contract at the age of 24. to be very VERY tall, with knobby such as the whimsical The Day It Rained attention caught by a beam of sunlight Today, Bond’s watercolor illustrations Hearts and the playful Tumble Bumble. coming through the window. Bond, 52, are known by millions of children and Her book Big Hugs, Little Hugs is more remembers deciding that she had to adults who are fans of the best-selling conceptual in nature and evolved from capture the feeling inspired by seeing series that began in 1985 with “If You a dream that she merged with a that shaft of light. “I walked into my Give a Mouse a Cookie.” Written by comforting story her father told her bedroom in the late afternoon. It was a Laura Numeroff, the books in the se- when she was a child and couldn’t fall little dark in the room, but there was a ries include such favorites as “If You asleep. In interviews she has said her beam of sunlight streaming in the Give a Pig a Pancake” and “If You Give ideas come from an “impulsive and window,” Bond said in an intuitive place”, that she “lives a story” “I THINK WE ALL LOOK FOR interview. “The buttery light instead of tells it. She works to keep the SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO touched me somehow. I knew right “mysterious third thing” alive in a book then that I wanted to be an artist. SOMETHING INSIDE OURSELVES. while she hones the narrative ark and I put that beam of light in the first BUT OF COURSE IT’S THRILLING pacing of the words and design. She book I wrote, and in many others WHEN A BOOK YOU’VE WORKED often compares the making of a book as well.” Encouraged by her ON BECOMES A BEST SELLER!” to cooking, a musical score, or a dance. parents, Bond worked hard during THE INSPIRATION TO BE A her youth to develop her artistic talent, a Moose a Muffin.” Of course, when BOOK ILLUSTRATOR and eventually earned a degree in fine Bond was asked to illustrate Numeroff’s arts from the University of Texas-Austin. manuscript for “If You Give a Mouse a Felicia Bond still vividly recalls the day Then, following a suggestion by her Cookie,” she had no idea that the book she decided to become an artist. She mother, Bond put together a portfo- would strike such a strong chord with was 5 years old and living in Bronxville, 8 9 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

the whimsical tone of her illustrations. books that she both wrote and of light coming in her bedroom Asked why she thinks the books she illustrated. Among these books are window at age five and knew that art and Numeroff create are so popular, “Poinsettia and Her Family,” “Four was her calling. Bond cites numerous Bond replied: “We all bring something Valentines in a Rainstorm” and “Tumble inspirations as a child, among them the personal to our own reading Bumble.” These days, Bond is working covers of The New Yorker, the drawings experiences, and I think many children on two books that she’s both writing in her Girl Scout Handbook, the connect with the characters in the ‘If and illustrating. And she You Give ...’ series.” Bond and plans to do at least one “THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NOTHING THAT Numeroff recently published a more “If You Give...” book. DIDN’T EXCITE ME IN THE ART I “treasury” of the stories they’ve As to what advice she’d of- EXPERIENCED AS A CHILD ... I LOVED IT ALL. created together. Titled “Mouse fer to young readers who I COULDN’T WAIT TO GROW UP AND Cookies” (HarperCollins, $24.99), the also hope to be BE AN ARTIST!” book consists of four stories, recipes, picture-book activities and sheet music to use with creators, Bond said: “Draw! the CD that’s also included. In an Write! Don’t stop!” sketches her mother drew for her and illustrated note at the front of the book, her siblings, and the art in children’s THE LIFE OF FELEICA BOND Bond says that some of her characters books. Bond was especially drawn to are based on real people, including Felicia Bond, illustrator, was born to the painterly, expressive style of herself. Bond also is known for her American parents in Yokohama, Japan, Ludwig Bemelmans in his Madeline illustrations for several other books, where she lived for two years. Bond books and the sensitive ink drawings including “Christmas in the Manger,” grew up in Bronxville, New York and by in Charlotte’s Web by Nola Buck, and “Big Red Barn,” a Houston, Texas with her four brothers and Stuart Little. For many years she classic story by Margaret Wise Brown, and two sisters. She is the second child closely examined the work of Charles author of “Goodnight Moon.” In in a family of seven. It was while living Schulz, renowned for his Peanuts comic addition, Bond has published several in New York that she observed a beam strip, and credits him as making a lasting impression on her. Felicia Bond grew up in New York and Texas. As a child, nearly every kind of children’s book art was exciting to her, from young readers. “I don’t think anyone the paintings in Madelineto Charles thinks in terms of a best seller when Schulz’s Peanuts. “I loved it all,” she they’re creating a book,” Bond said. “I says. “I couldn’t wait to grow up and be think we all look for something that ap- an artist.” Felicia Bond is the illustrator peals to something of numerous books for children. In inside ourselves. But of course it’s nail scissors,” etc. The addition to the If You Give A . . . series, thrilling when a book you’ve worked silliness is highlighted by Bond’s puck- she has also illustrated, among other on becomes a best seller!” Kids love ish, stylized illustrations, done in water- titles, Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise the silliness of the stories as well as color outlined in black, and sometimes Brown and Little Porcupine’s Christmas the “domino”-style text: “If you give a highlighted with color pencil. Bond is by Joseph Slate. She’s the author and mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for particularly talented at changing illustrator of the Poinsettia books, The a glass of milk. When you give him perspectives to keep readers interest- Day It Rained Hearts, The Halloween the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a ed, and her illustrations also add Play, and Tumble Bumble. She lives in straw. When he’s finished, he’ll ask for another dose of humor to the stories. Santa Fe, New Mexico. a napkin. Then, he’ll want to look in a Bond’s artistic heroes include “Pea- WHAT MADE HER FAMOUS mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a nuts” creator Charles Schulz as well milk mustache. When he looks into the as Ludwig Bemelmans, the author-il- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the first mirror, he might notice his hair needs a lustrator of the “Madeline” books, and collaborative work written by Laura trim. So he’ll probably ask for a pair of their influence can readily be seen in Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia 10 11 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

Learning From Anna Dewdney

By Jane Smith

WHO IS SHE? griffons, and one bulldog. Anna passed away in 2016, but her spirit will live on Anna Elizabeth Luhrmann was born on in her books. Children’s author, Dec. 25, 1965, and grew up in illustrator, and educator Anna Englewood, N.J. Her father, George, Dewdney, whose toddler-centric was a psychiatrist; her mother, the picture books starring wildly former Winifred Bruce, wrote books for expressive Baby Llama are young readers. Anna Dewdney was a multi-million-copy bestsellers, died at teacher, mother, and enthusiastic her home in Vermont on Saturday, proponent of reading aloud to September 3, after a 15-month battle children. She continually honed her with brain cancer. She was 50. skills as an artist and writer and published her first Llama Llama book in THE BACKSTORY ON HER 2005. Her passion for creating FAMOUS BOOKS extended to home and garden and she Ms. Dewdney, whom the lovingly restored 18th century children’s-book journal The Horn farmhouse in southern Vermont. She Bookonce called a “rock star to wrote, painted, gardened, and lived preschoolers,” introduced her most there with her partner, Reed, her two famous character in “Llama Llama Red daughters, two wirehaired pointing Pajama.” Published in 2005, it told the 12 13 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

rhyming story of a baby-boy llama “Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too.” Dewdney FAMILY upset when his mother delays bringing had recently completed a new picture Ms. Dewdney’s marriage, to John a nighttime glass of water. Mama book, Little Excavator, which is Ronald eventually turns up and the crisis is scheduled for June 2017 publication Dewdney, “EMPATHY IS averted. Baby llama learns that Mama from Viking. “A good children’s book ended in AS IMPORTANT will always be nearby. Parents and can be read by an adult to a child, and divorce. In AS LITERACY.” children loved the book. “Dewdney experienced genuinely by both,” Ms. addition gives a wonderfully fresh twist to a Dewdney told The Star-Ledger. “A good to her sister Tanya Marie, she is familiar nighttime ritual,” Booklist children’s book is like a performance. I survived by her parents; another wrote. Booksellers loved it, too. The don’t feel my world really exists until an sister, Alice Laughlin; and two title flew off the shelves, as did its adult has read it to a child.” daughters, Berol and Cordelia nearly 20 successors, which sold more Dewdney. She lived with her partner than 10 million copies. Netflix plans to EDUCATION Reed Duncan in Vermont where she offer an animated version of the books Anna attended Phillips Academy in worked, gardened, and spent time with Grandpa,” in which Llama forgets his Andover, Mass., and the Putney School her daughters and dogs. At Dewdney’s toys on an overnight trip. “I think in Vermont before earning a bachelor’s former home in southern Vermont, children are far more like animals than degree in art from Wesleyan University llamas abound — not real ones but in they are like adults,” Ms. Dewdney told in 1987. She was a mail carrier, a sketches and journals, on storyboards The Horn Book in 2013. She added: waitress and a boarding school teacher and in elaborate drawings and notes in “Small children are ‘unadulterated’ before landing the assignment to manila folders and drawers that beings. They experience and recognize illustrate “The Peppermint Race,” by overflow with Dewdney’s exuberant feelings in themselves and others much vision. In the front garden is a llama Dian Curtis Regan. like animals do, without all that other topiary, now overgrown. Throughout stuff on top.” Ms. Dewdney also wrote the house, stuffed llamas and paintings the non-llama books “Roly Poly of Mama Llama and her endearingly next year. Ms. Dewdney illustrated Pangolin,” “Nobunny’s Perfect” and impatient child are happy reminders of several more books before discovering her llama. She told The Star-Ledger of Newark in 2013 that the idea had come from car trips with her two daughters in the back seat; she made animal sounds to them as they passed farms. “I would say, ‘Look, there are cows,’” she said. “And I would moo and make sheep noises and chicken noises. Our vet had a field with donkeys, and then she got a llama. And I would go ‘llama-llama- llama.’” Written in rhymes, each book starts with a simple life problem and proceeds to solve it, with lessons learned along the way. After writing and illustrating “Grumpy Gloria,” about a bulldog jealous of a doll, Ms. Dewdney reeled off a string of best-selling “Llama Llama” books, including “Llama Llama and the Bully Goat. Her most recent one, published last year, is “Llama Llama Gram and 14 15 YOUTH Magazine November 2019

the joy her work continues to give Dewdney was nearly 40 when “Llama breakthrough, a refrain that announced millions of children — and a hopeful Llama Red Pajama” was published. It a modern classic and begot a cottage sign of a happy future. was the first book she both wrote and industry. The children’s book “Llama illustrated; it was an immediate Llama Red Pajama,” published in 2005, HER CAREER AND WHAT bestseller. The humorous tale SHE DID of Baby Llama’s struggles to Her children’s book career began in get to sleep at bedtime “WHEN WE READ WITH A CHILD, earnest with her artwork for The received critical praise and WE ARE DOING SO MUCH MORE Peppermint Race by Dian Curtis Regan became a hit with kids, parents, THAN TEACHING HIM TO READ ... (Henry Holt, 1994). Before she fulfilled librarians, teachers, and BY READING WITH A CHILD, WE ARE her dream of becoming a full-time booksellers. The series now TEACHING THAT CHILD TO BE HUMAN.” author and illustrator, she supported contains more than 10 titles herself working as a waitress, a rural and has sold more than 10 million spawned more than 20 spinoffs, an mail carrier, and a daycare provider. copies combined. “Llama llama red pa- array of stuffed toys, theatrical She also taught art and history to jama” was Anna Dewdney’s performances and musical middle-school boys at a boarding interpretations, including one by school for many years. Dewdney went at Dollywood and just last on to illustrate a number of other month a rap by Ludacris that went viral. children’s chapter books in the 1990s. “Llama” is soon to come to the small Then, in 2005, Viking published the screen in an animated Netflix series first picture book she both wrote and narrated by Jennifer Garner. Dewdney illustrated: Llama, Llama Red Pajama. did many school, library, and event Llama Llama

16 17 YOUTH Magazine November 2019 appearances, where she spoke HER DEATH passionately about her work and In a release from her publisher, Jen children’s literacy. In her role as a Loja, president of Penguin Young literacy advocate, Dewdney wrote a Readers, said, “The entire Penguin 2013 opinion piece for the Wall Street Young Readers family is heartbroken. Journal, emphasizing that “empathy And as we grieve, we also celebrate is as important as literacy” when it Anna’s life, in dedicating ourselves to comes to educating children. “When carrying forward her mission of we read with a child, we are doing so putting books into as many little hands much more than teaching him to read as possible. We will miss her so, but or instilling in her a love of language,” consider ourselves so lucky to be her she wrote. “We are doing something publishing family and her partner in that I believe is just as powerful, and her legacy.” Additionally, Ken Wright, it is something that we are losing as a v-p and publisher of Viking Children’s culture: by reading with a child, we are Books, shared these thoughts: “Anna teaching that child to be human. When was an extraordinary talent. But much we open a book, and share our voice more than that, she was a dear, dear and imagination with a child, that child friend to so many of us at Viking and learns to see the world through Penguin, and she will be deeply and someone else’s eyes.” personally missed by her entire Penguin family.” She requested that in lieu of a funeral service that people read to a child instead. Dewdney is survived by her partner, Reed Duncan, with a child, we are doing so much twist to a familiar nighttime ritual,” and two grown daughters. One June more than teaching him to read or Booklist wrote. Booksellers loved it, 6, Viking will publish “Little Excavator,” instilling in her a love of language,” too. The title flew off the shelves, as one of the last books Dewdney wrote she wrote. “We are doing something did its nearly 20 successors, which sold and illustrated to completion before that I believe is just as powerful, and more than 10 million copies. her death in September of brain it is something that we are losing as a Netflix plans to offer an animated cancer. There are no llamas in the culture: by reading with a child, we are version of the books next year. Ms. book, but the character Little E is much teaching that child to be human.” Dewdney illustrated several more like Baby Llama and its creator: full of books before discovering her llama. pluck, a sly smile and a knack for witty HOW IT ALL BEGAN She told The Star-Ledger of Newark verse. “Little Excavator” is not, Ms. Dewdney, whom the in 2013 that the idea had come from however, Dewdney’s final book. This children’s-book journal The Horn car trips with her two daughters in the summer, Viking will publish “Llama Bookonce called a “rock star to back seat; she made animal sounds to Llama Gives Thanks,” and 2018 will preschoolers,” introduced her most them as they passed farms. “I would bring “Llama Llama Loves to Read.” famous character in “Llama Llama Red say, ‘Look, there are cows,’” she said. And there are other llama and non- Pajama.” Published in 2005, it told the “And I would moo and make sheep llama books in the works. rhyming story of a baby-boy llama noises and chicken noises. Our vet had upset when his mother delays a field with donkeys, and then she got THE IMPORTANCE OF bringing a nighttime glass of water. a llama. And I would go ‘llama- BOOKS Mama eventually turns up and the llama-llama.’” Written in rhymes, each In 2013, Anna wrote an opinion piece crisis is averted. Baby llama learns that book starts with a simple life problem for the Wall Street Journal, Mama will always be nearby. Parents and proceeds to solve it, with lessons highlighting that “empathy is as and children loved the book. learned along the way. After important as literacy” when it comes “Dewdney gives a wonderfully fresh writing and illustrating “Grumpy Glo- to educating children. “When we read ria,” about a bulldog 18 19 YOUTH Magazine November 2019 Silly Seuss By Jane Smith

WHO IS HE? rhymes. His work has also been ad- Theodor Seuss Geisel — known as “Ted” opted into many television specials, to family and friends — liked to say that Dr. Seuss was born on the 2nd of March feature films and television series. Dr. he adopted the name “Dr. Seuss” 1904 in Howard Street, Seuss books are known for their whim- because he was saving his real name Springfield, Massachusetts. He is sical rhyme†TFs and quirky characters, for the Great American Novel he would widely recognized for his contribu- which have names like and one day write. Seuss is a Bavarian name, tion as a writer, poet and cartoonist. the Sneetches and live in places like and was his mother’s maiden name: He wrote 48 books for children mainly . Henrietta Seuss’s parents emigrated based on imaginative characters and

20 21 YOUTH Magazine November 2019 from Bavaria (part of modern-day Lantern”. Later he was raised to the rank “Darn it all, another dragon. And just Germany) in the nineteenth century. of editor in chief of the magazine. His after I’d sprayed the whole castle with “SEUSS, HOWEVER, IS A POWERFUL POET. HE’S ONE OF Seuss was also his middle name. As a tenure as editor was short lived though Flit!” The wife of an advertising magazine cartoonist, he began signing because he was forced to resign from executive saw the cartoon and asked THE FEW TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE” his work under the mock-scholarly title all extracurricular activities on being her husband to hire Seuss to write ads of “Dr. Theophrastus Seuss” in 1927. He caught throwing a drinking party in his for Flit. In a typical Flit cartoon, large shortened that to “Dr. Seuss” in 1928. In dorm. This however did not stop Geisel mosquitoes converge on a child at a acquiring his professional from making contributions to the picnic. His mother cries, “Quick, Henry, pseudonym, he also gained a new magazine, in order to continue his the Flit!” Father (Henry) looks for the pronunciation. Most Americans publications he started signing his Flit to save the day. In another, a pronounce the name Soose, and not work using “Seuss” as his pen name. ventriloquist’s dummy sees a giant Zoice. And that’s how Ted Geisel Ted married a woman named Helen insect heading for him. To the became Dr. Seuss. On 24th September, Palmer in 1927, and they moved into a astonishment of the ventriloquist, the 1991, Dr. Seuss died of throat cancer walk-up apartment on New York’s Low- dummy shouts, “Quick, Henry, the in San Diego, California. His honors er West Side while he tried to Flit!” Dr. Seuss’s ad campaign was a hit. included two Academy awards, two establish himself as a cartoonist. She “Quick, Henry, the Flit!” was the “Got Emmy awards, a Peabody award and was the person who encouraged him Milk?” or the “Where’s the Beef?” of the Pulitzer Prize. to become a professional illustrator. its day — a catchphrase that everyone After a year of scraping by, Ted chanced knew. As Robert Cahn wrote in his 1957 CAREER AND WHERE IT ALL upon the career that would make him profile of Seuss, “‘Quick Henry, the Flit’ STARTED famous: advertising. It all began when became a standard line of repartee in In 1925 Geisel left Springfield to attend he happened to use a popular radio jokes. A song was based on it. The his college education from Dartmouth insecticide for a punchline. For a 1928 phrase became a part of the College. There he became a member of issue of Judge magazine, Seuss drew American vernacular for use in the college’s humor magazine “Jack-O- a cartoon in which a knight remarks, emergencies. It was the first major

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advertising campaign to be based on “[HOW THE STOLE he studied literature from 1925 to to write a children’s primer using 220 humorous cartoons.” Seuss went on to CHRISTMAS], CITIZENS 1926. I use the term “studied” loosely. vocabulary words. The resulting book, create ads for Holly Sugar, NBC, Ford, OF WHO-VILLE WARM THE Though his Oxford notebooks include , was published in General Electric, and many others. For some notes on the lectures, they reveal 1957 and was described by one critic GRINCH TO THE SPIRIT OF the next thirty years, advertising would a much greater propensity for as a “tour de force.” The success of The CHRISTMAS, remain Ted Geisel’s main source of doodling. In 1955, Dartmouth gave Cat in the Hat cemented Geisel’s place income. The Cat in the Hat would ENCOURAGES YOUNG him his first honorary doctorate. He in children’s literature. change all that. READERS TO DO THEIR would eventually receive several more OWN GOOD DEEDS” honorary degrees, including one from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ REJECTION LEADS TO Princeton. By pursuing his love of (1957) NEW OPPORTUNITIES up to his office (Vanguard’s offices were drawing, Ted Geisel became one of the “Every Who down in Who-ville liked No one wanted to publish his first on Madison), where they signed a con- few people to earn a Ph.D. by dropping Christmas a lot . . . but the Grinch, who children’s book — an ABC of fanciful tract for Mulberry Street. As Geisel puts out of graduate school. lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!” creatures, including the long-necked it, “That’s one of the reasons I For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a SIGNIFICANT BOOKS Readers follow Sam-I-Am as he adds friends and pets, like Gox to the whizzleworp and the green-striped cave on the side of the mountain. This believe in luck. If I’d been going down BY DR SEUSS (and adds) to the list of places to enjoy winking Yink who drinks pink ink. cholmondelet. Several years later, the other side of Madison Avenue, I tale, where citizens of Who-ville warm and the friends he tried once more with a new book. His first book, And to Think That I Saw the Grinch to the spirit of Christmas, would be in the dry cleaning business to enjoy them with. The book is written ‘Horton Hears a Who!’ (1962) Again, publisher after publisher turned It on Mulberry Street, rejected 27 times today!” Would Seuss really have gone encourages young readers to do their for early readers, with simple words, In 1962 Geisel published this comic it down. Depending on the version of before it was finally published by into the dry cleaning business? That’s own good deeds. The book was rhymes and lots of illustrations. classic, which teaches kindness and the story he tells, either 20, 26, 27, 28, Vanguard Press in 1937. unlikely. But the “dry cleaning” line successful in the 1950s and 1960s but perseverance from Horton the or 29 publishers rejected the book. became an instant holiday classic when makes for a better story. ‘One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish’ elephant, features the famous line Geisel was walking down Madison ‘The Cat in the Hat’ (1957) it was released in 1966 as a made- (1960) “a person’s a person, no matter how Avenue, about to throw the book away, EDUCATION A major turning point in Geisel’s career for-TV cartoon special featuring the “Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you small.” when he ran into former classmate came when, in response to a 1954 LIFE Dr. Seuss was not a doctor. Ted Geisel voice of Boris Karloff. ever walk with ten cats on your head?” Mike McClintock, who had just been magazine article that criticized did consider pursuing a Ph.D. in Another of Geisel’s simple rhyming ‘Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet appointed juvenile editor of Vanguard children’s reading levels, Houghton English: After graduating from ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ (1960) plots about a boy and a girl and their Book!’ (1963) Press. McClintock promptly took him Mifflin and Random House asked him Dartmouth, he went to Oxford, where “Do you like green eggs and ham?” adventures with their colorful cast of The littlest readers learn their ABCs,

24 25 YOUTH Magazine November 2019 from Aunt Annie’s Alligator to a under another name, or co-authored, poetic talents receive less notice is that a person, no matter how small” or “I’m Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz with playful, or published posthumously, then the he usually writes in the meter of the Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! nonsensical illustrations and text. total number of books is sixty-six, with limerick, a form that gets little respect. For I am the ruler of all that I see!” only five in prose. Why did Seuss Horton’s “I meant what I said and I said Seuss, however, is a powerful poet. ‘’ (1965) prefer poetry? Grandpa Seuss was a what I meant” has but one anapest He’s one of the few to change the In this silly book, Fox in Socks teaches baker, and Ted’s mother, Henrietta more than language. Edward Lear’s “The Owl Seuss, worked in her father’s bakery “There was and the Pussycat” introduced runcible Knox in a box hilarious tongue-twisters “NO ONE that are best read aloud, like “Socks on before becoming Mrs. Geisel in 1901. an Old spoon. Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” WANTED TO chicks and chicks on fox. Fox on clocks As the Morgans note, Ted and his older Man with coined both galumphing (a PUBLISH on bricks and blocks. Bricks and blocks sister, Marnie, often went to sleep to the a beard.” combination of galloping and HIS FIRST on Knox on box.” sound of their mother chanting to them An anapest triumphant) and chortle (chuckle plus CHILDREN’S BOOK” ‘The Lorax’ (1971) “softly, in the way she had learned as is two un- snort). The word nerd first appears in “UNLESS someone like you...cares a she sold pies, ‘Apple, mince, lemon … stressed syl- Seuss’s . whole awful lot...nothing is going to peach, apricot, pineapple … blueber- lables followed by a stressed syllable get better...It’s not.” In this book, Geisel ry, coconut, custard, and SQUASH!’” — da-da-duh. Seuss sometimes warns of the dangers of mistreating the He later said that his mother was most introduces an initial anapest with an environment before environmentalism responsible “for the rhythms in which I iamb, which is one unstressed syllable was a trend. The cautionary tale write and the urgency with which I do followed by a stressed syllable — teaches young readers about the it.” Along with Robert Frost and Billy da-duh. See, for example, “A person’s beauty of the natural world and their Collins, Dr. Seuss is one of America’s duty to protect it. most popular poets. One reason that he rarely receives the respect that they ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ (1990) do is that Seuss writes for children. Published in 1990, the year before Some critics look down their noses at Geisel’s death, this book is the classic “kiddie lit,” refusing to understand that, sendoff for kids of all ages, from though written for people with less kindergarteners to college students. height or less vocabulary, children’s lit- Dr. Seuss teaches readers that success erature is not a lesser genre. It is litera- is within you, illustrating life’s inevitable ture, and good children’s literature is as highs and lows. Other books by worthy of praise as good literature for Geisel include If I Ran the Zoo (1950), grown-ups. The other reason Seuss’s winner of the Caldecott Honor, and (1963). Dr. was also an editor of P.D. Eastman’s classic, Are You My Mother? (1960), which was part of his series.

THE POETRY

No matter what readers learn from Seuss’s books, they will most likely learn it in rhyme. Of the forty- four books written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, only four are in prose. If we add books illustrated by others, or written

26 27 Ashley Densen Professor Hiltabiddle Typography II Endicott College