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Summary
Summary
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.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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 bitingthough never mean-spiritedsense of humor. A pleasing combination of fact and anecdote, this volume is a fitting tribute. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
The facts of Theodor Geisel's life are not as well known as his illustrious works, but in this authorized biography (from Geisel's own publisher), they're nearly as exuberant Despite the title's play on Jekyll and Hyde (Geisel loved Stevenson), the authors present a man no less entertaining and eccentric in private and in person than in public and in print. Judith (coauthor of California, not reviewed) and Neil (Westward Tilt, not reviewed) Morgan had access to their subject's unfinished autobiography and other papers, and they draw on interviews with Geisel and his collaborators to paint a clear picture of Geisel's high-spirited childhood in Illinois; his unsuccessful pursuit of a Ph.D. in English literature at Oxford; his early break in cartoons and advertising with his ``Quick, Henry, the Flit!'' insecticide series; and his successful switch to children's books in 1937 with And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. There are likewise modest revelations about his career (his pseudonym first appeared when the president of Dartmouth banned him from the campus humor magazine because of a bootleg gin party) and his creative personality (whimsy and ebullience mixed with perfectionism and shyness). Geisel's career took off meteorically with the convergence of demographics and technology; rebelling against Dick and Jane dullness, baby boomers exultantly devoured his fantastic yet simply written, colorfully lithographed tales. Even as a national treasure and publishing institution, he remained unpredictable, creating such bestsellers as You're Only Old Once! for grown-ups. The Morgans tell the success story well, but they neglect the darker spots in Geisel's life, such as his sudden second marriage after the suicide of his first wife and his opportunistic desertion of his first publisher for the burgeoning Random House. Competent, if uninsightful, in discussing Geisel's place in American culture, the Morgans tend to heap adulation on the creator of Ooblek, the Lorax, and Sneetches. (16 pages b&w photos, not seen)
Choice Review
The books Geisel (1904-91) wrote under the name of Dr. Seuss have been a treasured part of childhood for half a century. Although Ruth K. MacDonald's Dr. Seuss (1988) briefly sketched his life, the Morgans are the first to trace it in depth. They occasionally indulge in journalistic color, but they compensate with abundant anecdotal material. Most readers, for instance, will be delighted to learn that Geisel signed Mary Baker Eddy's name in copies of her books. Generally, however, this biography gives facts about Geisel and little insight into Dr. Seuss. The Morgans do not analyze the zany books or the creative process behind them. Likewise, they chronicle Geisel's frustrated quest for recognition as an artist, but they offer no insight into the merits of his paintings. Instead, the Morgans tone down anything negative about their friend. Thus, although they note that Geisel could be difficult to work with, they celebrate him as a dedicated perfectionist. In spite of the Morgans' painstakingly detailed accounts of his journeys and his meetings with numerous people, both Mr. Geisel, the man, and Dr. Seuss, the artist, elude them. General readers. R. E. Jones; University of Alberta
Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
