Dr. Seuss

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Barbara J. Feldman

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, as well as three Academy Awards, Theodor Geisel (best known as Dr. Seuss) authored and illustrated forty-four children's books. Since his first children's book in 1936, Dr. Seuss has introduced several generations of kids to the joy of reading. March 2 is his one-hundredth birthday. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss: Characters and Unusual Creatures

3 stars

Although this site lacks graphics and animation, it's a valuable reference. Visit to peruse a list of all of Seuss' books, followed by an alphabetic list of all his creatures (from Aaron, the alligator to Zummers.) Did you know the word "nerd" dates to 1950 when it first appeared in Dr. Seuss' "If I Ran the Zoo"? "I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo a Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!"

Dr. Seuss National Memorial

4 stars

Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, which is now home to the Dr. Seuss National Memorial. Best bets are the Geisel biography (All About Dr. Seuss), the tour of the sculpture garden (National Memorial), and Dr. Seuss Art Gallery. Although all the work at the gallery is for sale, you don't need to buy it to enjoy it. Be sure to view the Secret Art Gallery, which displays art not created for any of his books.

Infoplease: Dr. Seuss

3 stars

"His books were originally considered too outlandish to appeal to children. His first, 'And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street' (1937), was reputedly rejected by twenty-eight publishers before it finally found a home at Random House." Infoplease brings us an excellent one page bio, and related articles from their encyclopedia. Best link is Grinchy Trivia, which compares the 2000 live action movie and the 1966 TV movie with the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" book.

Read Across America: Dr. Seuss Biography

4 stars

"Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1925, he went to Oxford University, intending to acquire a doctorate in literature. At Oxford, Geisel met Helen Palmer, whom he wed in 1927." This bio page is part of National Education Association's Read Across America site which is celebrating Seuss' one hundredth birthday by calling for every caring adult to read with a child on March 2, 2004.

Seussville University

5 stars

"Welcome to Seussville University, where you can have 'lots of good fun that is funny' while learning basic reading, math, science, and reasoning skills." From the Cat's Concentration game to Green Eggs and Ham picture scramble, Dr. Seuss fans will find plenty to crow about at this official Random House site. In fact, it's the only one of today's sites with activities and games for young readers. For classroom ideas, party projects and printable activity sheets, visit Seussentennial (celebrating "a century of imagination.")