Dr. Seuss
The pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel, an advertising cartoonist who wrote and drew more than 40 children's books, among them *The Cat in the Hat*, which launched Random House's Beginner Books.
The Cat in the Hat
The 1957 book that became the first in Random House's Beginner Books series for early readers.16 Warner Bros.' animated film, with Bill Hader as the Cat, opened on November 6, 2026.2527
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At a glance
- Born
- Theodor Seuss Geisel, March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts46
- The pen name
- Seuss was his mother's maiden name; he began signing his work "Seuss" at Dartmouth and later added "Dr."6138
- Education
- Dartmouth College (graduated 1925); Lincoln College, Oxford189
- Other pen names
- Theo. LeSieg (Geisel spelled backward), for books he wrote but did not illustrate, and Rosetta Stone514
- Married
- Helen Palmer, 1927 (died 1967); Audrey Stone Dimond, 19685
- Died
- September 24, 1991, in La Jolla, California, aged 87197
- Major awards
Dr. Seuss's Backstory
Early life
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904; Seuss was his mother’s maiden name.46 His father managed the family brewery and later supervised the city’s public parks.95 At Dartmouth, where he majored in English, he wrote for the humor magazine Jack-O-Lantern; after he was caught drinking during Prohibition and barred from it, he kept contributing under the name “Seuss.”13 He graduated in 1925 and went on to Lincoln College, Oxford, and in 1927 he married Helen Palmer.1895
Cartoonist and first books
Back in the United States he worked as a magazine cartoonist and advertising illustrator.18 His first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, appeared in 1937, followed by The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and Horton Hatches the Egg.2010 In 1943 he joined Frank Capra’s Signal Corps unit, making Army training films and documentaries.6 After the war he and Helen settled in La Jolla, California, where he lived for the rest of his life.17
The Cat in the Hat and Beginner Books
The Cat in the Hat (1957) was written to a limited vocabulary list for beginning readers, and it became the first book of Beginner Books, the Random House imprint he co-founded.216 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! came out the same year, and Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish followed in 1960.1810 Books he wrote but did not illustrate appeared under the name Theo. LeSieg.14
Later years
Helen died in 1967, and in 1968 he married Audrey Stone Dimond.5 His later books included The Lorax (1971), The Butter Battle Book (1984) and You’re Only Old Once! (1986), which was written for adults.3 He received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1980 and, in 1984, a special Pulitzer Prize honoring nearly half a century of work for children.151 Oh, the Places You’ll Go! appeared in 1990; he died in La Jolla on September 24, 1991, aged 87.319
After his death
Seven more Dr. Seuss books have been published since, among them What Pet Should I Get? (2015) and Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum (2019), both from manuscripts found in his home.1123 In 2021 Dr. Seuss Enterprises stopped publishing six of his books because of racist and insensitive imagery.20
Fun facts
- His classmates at Dartmouth voted him "Least Likely to Succeed."17
- Barred from writing for Dartmouth's humor magazine after being caught drinking during Prohibition, he kept contributing under the name "Seuss."13
- He credited his love of verse to his mother, who made up rhymes about pie flavors to entertain him.17
- Four of the ten best-selling hardcover children's books of all time are his: The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Hop on Pop.4
- What Pet Should I Get? (2015) became the fastest-selling picture book in Random House Children's Books history.24
- He wrote for at least eight hours a day in an old observation tower he and his wife bought in La Jolla.7
Books
In order of first publication. Each series is kept together, in reading order, starting where its first book appeared. Books published under the name Dr. Seuss, from Wikipedia's Dr. Seuss bibliography (through 1990) and its list of the seven books published after his death; books he wrote as Theo. LeSieg or Rosetta Stone are left out.1011
Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores) and Amazon links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission on purchases, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. WorldCat links find the book in a library near you.
- 1937And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
His first children's book; one of six titles Dr. Seuss Enterprises stopped publishing in 2021.20
- 1938The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
- 1939The King's Stilts
- 1939The Seven Lady Godivas
- 1940
- 1947
- 1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1952Gerald McBoing-Boing
Based on the 1950 film; not illustrated by Geisel.10
- 1953
- 1954
- 1955
- 1956If I Ran the Circus
- 1957
- 1957
- 1958
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book
- 1963
- 1963
- 1965
- 1965
- 1967The Cat in the Hat Song Book
- 1968
- 1969
- 1969
- 1970I Can Draw It Myself
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
- 1973Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- 1973The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- 1974
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976
- 1978I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
- 1979Oh Say Can You Say?
- 1982Hunches in Bunches
- 1984The Butter Battle Book
- 1986
- 1987
- 1987
- 1990
- 1995
- 1996My Many Colored Days
- 1998Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
- 2011
- 2014Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories
Stories that had appeared only in magazines.22
- 2015
- 2019
Latest news
Adaptations and other media
Film
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)2003Based on The Cat in the Hat
A live-action film starring Mike Myers as the Cat.30
- The Grinch2018Based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
An animated film that opened with $67.5 million in North America in November 2018.31
- The Cat in the Hat (2026)2026Based on The Cat in the Hat
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation's film with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, directed by Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, with Bill Hader as the Cat.2729
Myth and record
The claim"Seuss" rhymes with "juice," the way nearly every reader says it.17
The recordThe family name, which was his mother's maiden name, was pronounced in the German way, to rhyme with "voice"; the "juice" pronunciation stuck in America, and Geisel adopted it, liking that it rhymed with Mother Goose.617
The claimDr. Seuss was "canceled" in 2021, with his books banned; a Virginia school district had to dispel rumors that it was banning them.21
The recordDr. Seuss Enterprises, the company that manages his work, decided on its own to stop publishing and licensing six titles because of racist and insensitive imagery, after a review with a panel of experts; his other books remain in print.2021
Timeline
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts.4
Graduates from Dartmouth and goes to Oxford.18
Marries Helen Palmer and begins his career as a cartoonist and advertising illustrator.18
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, his first children's book, is published.20
Joins Frank Capra's Signal Corps unit in the Army, making training films and documentaries.6
Moves to La Jolla, California, where he lives for the rest of his life.1
The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! are published.18
Receives the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.15
Receives a special Pulitzer Prize.1
Dies in La Jolla.19
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announces it will stop publishing six of his books because of racist and insensitive imagery.20
Warner Bros.' animated The Cat in the Hat opens.25
What came after
The Cat in the Hat opens in British cinemas on December 4, 2026.28
Sources
- The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and other classics Encyclopaedia BritannicaReference
- Beginner Books WikipediaReference
- Dr. Seuss Britannica KidsReference
- Dr. Seuss (1904–1991) Encyclopedia.comReference
- Geisel, Theodor Seuss 1904-1991 Encyclopedia.com (Something About the Author)Reference
- 9 Things You May Not Know About Dr. Seuss History.comReference
- Dr. Seuss Biography.comReference
- Dr. Seuss New World EncyclopediaReference
- Dr. Seuss WikipediaReference
- Dr. Seuss bibliography Wikipedia (via Wikiwand)Reference
- Horse Museum (Dr. Seuss) WikipediaReference
- What Pet Should I Get? WikipediaReference
- Theodore Geisel and Dr. Seuss Legacy.comReference
- The Life and Influence of Dr. Seuss Bright Hub EducationReference
- Dr. Seuss Scholastic ArtReference
- Beginner Books (Random House) Publishing HistoryReference
- 63 facts about the world of Dr. Seuss CBCNews
- A brief Seuss timeline Deseret NewsNews
- Dr. Seuss dead at 87 UPINews
- Dr. Seuss Enterprises to Stop Publishing Six Books Due to Racist Imagery Rolling Stone (AP)News
- 6 Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published over racist images The Times of Israel (AP)News
- What Pet Should I Get? announcement Children's Book CouncilPrimary record
- 'Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum' Gets Posthumous Publication Animation MagazineNews
- Dr. Seuss saddles up new property KidscreenNews
- Godzilla Makes Record Return Newser (AP)News
- The Cat In The Hat Is Another Box Office Flop Warner Bros. Can't Afford /FilmNews
- The Cat in the Hat (2026) The NumbersReference
- The Cat in the Hat Warner Bros. Discovery (UK)Primary record
- The Cat in the Hat moves to November 6, 2026 Animation MagazineNews
- Bill Hader to Star in New 'Cat in the Hat' Animated Movie for Warner Bros. TheWrapNews
- Long Range Forecast – Nov. 6, 2026 Boxoffice ProNews