Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
In honor of what would be his 106th birthday, here are a few fun facts:
Green Eggs and Ham was written as a bet to see if he could write a book in only 50 words. He did, and they are, in order: I am Sam; that; do not like; you green eggs and ham; them; would here or there; anywhere; in a house with mouse; eat box fox; car they; could; may will see tree; let me be; train on; say the dark; rain; goat; boat; so try may; if; good; thank
He didn’t actually love children. While he didn’t hate them or anything, he was sorta scared of them and never had any of his own.
The name “Dr. Seuss” was a result of getting caught drinking during the prohibition. In order to keep writing for the Dartmouth paper, a young Ted Geisel started writing under a pseudonym, the first of several he would use to write children’s books.
A Dr. Seuss theme park in California, targeted specifically at very small children, features no straight lines in keeping with Dr. Seuss’s vision.
Suess was Geisel’s mother’s maiden name. It is German, and was originally pronounced “zoice.”
While not his most famous book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street! was Dr. Seuss’s first book, and my favorite growing up.
