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"One-tenth of your income must go into War Bonds if you hope to defeat both the Axis and inflation!"

Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) may be best-remembered for his irreverent rhymes and the timeless prescriptions for living embedded in them, but he was also a prolific maker of subversive secret art and the auteur of a naughty book for adults. Though his children's books have already been shown to brim with subtle political propaganda, during WWII, like Walt Disney, Geisel lent his creative talents to far more explicit, adult-focused wartime propaganda when he joined the New York daily newspaper PM as a political cartoonist. Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel (public library) collects 200 of Geisel's black-and-white illustrations, but more than half of his editorial cartoons were never made publicly available - until now. Dr. Seuss Goes To War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons from UCSD Libraries has digitized the original drawings and newspaper clippings of Geisel's wartime cartoons, produced between 1941 and 1943. Here's a sampling:

In Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography, Judith and Neil Morgan contextualize the collaboration:

Ted was haunted by the war in Europe, and one evening in Manhattan he showed an editorial cartoon he had drawn to his friend Zinny Vanderlip Schoales, the brilliant, hard-drinking intellectual.... She had joined the patrician liberal Ralph Ingersoll when he launched the tabloid newspaper PM in New York with the backing of Marshall Field III. Zinny took Ted's cartoon to Ingersoll and PM published it on January 30, 1941...

See more on the project site, then graduate to the more subtle, complex political propaganda in Seuss's children's books with Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children's Literature.

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dr. seuss goes to war: the world war ii editorial cartoons of theodor seuss geisel

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Dr. Seuss's World War II Political Propaganda Cartoons

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A rare look Geisel's wartime propaganda illustrations, encouraging Americans to invest in war bonds and help defeat the Axis of Evil.

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What was Dr. Seuss's education?

What made Dr. Seuss famous?

What is Dr. Seuss most famous for?

Which Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published?

Dr. Seuss, pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel, (born March 2, 1904, Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.-died September 24, 1991, La Jolla, California), American writer and illustrator of immensely popular children's books, which were noted for their nonsense words, playful rhymes, and unusual creatures.

Early career and first Dr. Seuss books

After graduating from Dartmouth College (B.A., 1925), Geisel did postgraduate studies at Lincoln College, Oxford, and at the Sorbonne. He subsequently began working for Life, Vanity Fair, and other publications as an illustrator and humorist. In addition, he found success in advertising, providing illustrations for a number of campaigns. Geisel was especially noted for his work on ads for Flit insect repellent. Some of his characters later appeared in his children's works.

After illustrating a series of humour books, Geisel decided to write a children's book, which was reportedly rejected by nearly 30 publishers. After his chance meeting with a friend who was an editor at Vanguard Press, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was finally released in 1937. The work centres on a young boy who transforms his ordinary walk home from school into a fantastical story. Later, however, he describes only the facts of his walk to his father, who frowns on the boy's imaginative nature. Geisel used the pen name Dr. Seuss, planning to publish novels under his surname; the Dr. was a tongue-in-cheek reference to his uncompleted doctorate degree. However, his first book for adults, The Seven Lady Godivas (1939), fared poorly, and thereafter he focused on children's books, which he preferred. According to Geisel, "Adults are obsolete children, and the hell with them."

After publishing several more children's works, Geisel released Horton Hatches the Egg in 1940. With it, he introduced the features that would come to define his books: a unique brand of humour, playful use of words, and outlandish characters. It centres on an elephant who is duped into sitting on the egg of a bird who goes on vacation. Despite various hardships, Horton refuses to leave: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent!" In the end, he is rewarded when the egg hatches, and a creature with bird wings and an elephant's head emerges.

World War II and documentaries

During World War II Geisel's focus shifted to politics. In the early 1940s he was an editorial cartoonist at PM magazine in New York City. He then served (1942-46) in the U.S. Army, where he was assigned to the documentary division. In 1945 he wrote Your Job in Germany, which was directed by Frank Capra; it was later remade as the Academy Award-winning Hitler Lives (1945), though Geisel was not credited. After his service ended, he continued to make films. With his first wife, Helen Palmer Geisel, he wrote the Oscar-winning documentary feature Design for Death (1947). His animated cartoon Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) also won an Academy Award.

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Dr. Seuss | Biography, Books, Characters, Movies, & Facts

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Dr. Seuss, pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel, (born March 2, 1904, Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.-died September 24, 1991, La Jolla, California), American writer and illustrator of immensely popular children's books, which were noted for their nonsense words, playful rhymes, and unusual creatures.

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Read this biography of Dr. Seuss - Theodore Geisel and learn about his children's books, including cat in the hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Lorax

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Who Was Dr. Seuss?

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, was a writer and cartoonist who published over 60 books. He published his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, under the name of Dr. Seuss in 1937.

Next came a string of bestsellers, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. His rhymes and characters are beloved by generations of fans.

Family, Early Life & Education

Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father, Theodor Robert Geisel, was a successful brewmaster; his mother was Henrietta Seuss Geisel.

At age 18, Geisel left home to attend Dartmouth College, where he became the editor in chief of its humor magazine, Jack-O-Lantern. When Geisel and his friends were caught drinking in his dorm room one night, in violation of Prohibition law, he was kicked off the magazine staff, but continued to contribute to it using the pseudonym "Seuss."

After graduating from Dartmouth, Geisel attended the University of Oxford in England, with plans to eventually become a professor. In 1927, he dropped out of Oxford.

Early Career as a Cartoonist

Upon returning to America, Geisel decided to pursue cartooning full-time. His articles and illustrations were published in numerous magazines, including LIFE and Vanity Fair. A cartoon that he published in the July 1927 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, his first using the pen name "Seuss," landed him a staff position at the New York weekly Judge.

Geisel next worked for Standard Oil in the advertising department, where he spent the next 15 years. His ad for Flit, a popular insecticide, became nationally famous.

Around this time, Viking Press offered Geisel a contract to illustrate a children's collection called Boners. The book sold poorly, but it gave him a break into children's literature.

At the start of World War II, Geisel began contributing weekly political cartoons to the liberal publication PM Magazine. In 1942, too old for the World War II draft, Geisel served with Frank Capra's Signal Corps, making animated training films and drawing propaganda posters for the Treasury Department and the War Production Board.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S DR. SEUSS FACT CARD

Career in Children's Books

Following the war, Geisel and Helen purchased an old observation tower in La Jolla, California, where he would write for at least eight hours a day, taking breaks to tend his garden.

Over the following five decades, Geisel would write many books, both in a new, simplified vocabulary style and using his older, more elaborate technique.

Dr. Seuss Books

Over the course of his career, Geisel published more than 60 books. Some of his more well-known works include:

Dr. Seuss' First Book

His first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before it was finally published by Vanguard Press in 1937.

'The Cat in the Hat' (1957)

A major turning point in Geisel's career came when, in response to a 1954 LIFE magazine article that criticized children's reading levels, Houghton Mifflin and Random House asked him to write a children's primer using 220 vocabulary words.

The resulting book, The Cat in the Hat, was published in 1957 and was described by one critic as a "tour de force." The success of The Cat in the Hat cemented Geisel's place in children's literature.

'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' (1957)

"Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . . but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!" For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of the mountain. This tale, where citizens of Who-ville warm the Grinch to the spirit of Christmas, encourages young readers to do their own good deeds.

The book was successful in the 1950s and 1960s but became an instant holiday classic when it was released in 1966 as a made-for-TV cartoon special featuring the voice of Boris Karloff.

'Green Eggs and Ham' (1960)

"Do you like green eggs and ham?" Readers follow Sam-I-Am as he adds (and adds) to the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham and the friends to enjoy them with. The book is written for early readers, with simple words, rhymes and lots of illustrations.

'One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish' (1960)

"Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?" Another of Geisel's simple rhyming plots about a boy and a girl and their adventures with their colorful cast of friends and pets, like Gox to the winking Yink who drinks pink ink.

'Horton Hears a Who!' (1962)

In 1962, Geisel published this comic classic, which teaches kindness and perseverance from Horton the elephant, features the famous line "a person's a person, no matter how small."

'Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!' (1963)

The littlest readers learn their ABCs, from Aunt Annie's Alligator to a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz with playful, nonsensical illustrations and text.

'Fox in Socks' (1965)

In this silly book, Fox in Socks teaches Knox in a box hilarious tongue-twisters that are best read aloud, like "Socks on chicks and chicks on fox. Fox on clocks on bricks and blocks. Bricks and blocks on Knox on box."

'The Lorax' (1971)

"UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not." In this book, Geisel warns of the dangers of mistreating the environment before environmentalism was a trend. The cautionary tale teaches young readers about the beauty of the natural world and their duty to protect it.

'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' (1990)

Published in 1990, the year before Geisel's death, this book is the classic sendoff for kids of all ages, from kindergarteners to college students. Dr. Seuss teaches readers that success is within you, illustrating life's inevitable highs and lows.

Other books by Geisel include If I Ran the Zoo (1950), winner of the Caldecott Honor, and Hop on Pop (1963). Dr. Seuss was also an editor of P.D. Eastman's classic, Are You My Mother? (1960), which was part of his Beginner Books series.

Photo: John Bryson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Dr. Seuss Movies

Several of Geisel's books have been transformed into full-length feature animated films, both during his lifetime and posthumously.

In 1966, with the help of eminent cartoonist Chuck Jones, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas was adapted into an animated film made for TV. The book was adapted again in 2000 as a full-length animated feature by director Ron Howard, with Jim Carrey voicing the Grinch, Jeffrey Tambour as Mayor Augustus Maywho and Molly Shannon as Betty Lou Who.

In 2008 Horton Hears a Who! was released as an animated feature film starring Jim Carrey as the voice of Horton, Steve Carell as Mayor, Carol Burnett as Kangaroo and Seth Rogen as Morton.

In 2012, The Lorax animated feature film hit theaters, with Danny DeVito as the Lorax, Zac Efron as Ted, Taylor Swift as Audrey and Betty White as Grammy Norma.

Awards

Geisel won numerous awards for his work, including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, three Emmys and three Grammys.

Dr. Seuss' Wife

While studying at Oxford, Geisel met his future wife, Helen Palmer. The couple married in 1927 and moved back to the United States the same year.

In October 1967, Palmer, who was suffering from both cancer and the emotional pain caused by an affair Geisel had with their longtime friend Audrey Stone Dimond, committed suicide.

Geisel married Dimond, a film producer, the following year. Dimond is known for her work on the films The Lorax (2012), Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and Daisy-Head Mayzie (1995).

Geisel never had any children of his own.

Death

Geisel died on September 24, 1991, at the age of 87, in La Jolla, California.

In 1997, the Art of Dr. Seuss collection was launched. Today, limited-edition prints and sculptures of Geisel's artworks can be found at galleries alongside the works of Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. Sixteen of his books are on Publishers Weekly's list of the "100 Top-Selling Hardcover Children's Books of All-Time."

In 2015, Random House Children's Books posthumously published a new Dr. Seuss book, titled What Pet Should I Get?, after the manuscript and sketches were found by the author's widow in the couple's home.

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Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, was a writer and cartoonist who published over 60 books. He published his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, under the name of Dr. Seuss in 1937.

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If you've ever had a Wocket in your pocket or you know characters like the Lorax, the Grinch, or an elephant named Horton, you can probably guess who Theodor Geisel is.

His full name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. Does that help? That's right! We're talking about the one and only Dr. Seuss.

Theodor ("Ted") Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Although he wasn't a real medical doctor, his rhymes have been the for bored readers for decades.

You might be surprised to learn that Ted started his career primarily as a cartoonist and illustrator . Eventually, he began to children's books, which he illustrated with a style that has become easily identifiable with the name Seuss. He began using his middle name as his pen name in college.

A major turning point in Ted's career came as a result of a Life magazine article by John Hersey. Hersey complained that children's books were boring and needed inspiring illustrations, like those of Geisel and Walt Disney.

Two publishers, Houghton Mifflin and Random House, challenged Ted to a children's book using 220 simple vocabulary words. Ted gave the world The Cat in the Hat, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Ted's mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, worked in her father's bakery as a young girl. She would the names of the pies on sale each day and "chant" them to customers.

When Ted had trouble sleeping, she would sing her pie "chants" to him. As an adult, Ted gave to his mother "for the rhythms in which I and the with which I do it."

His actual writing was a bit of a mystery. Friends remember that Ted would wear a "thinking cap" from his huge hat collection to lighten his mood and work past bouts of writer's block.

Bennett Cerf, an influential figure early in Ted's career, once bet Ted $50 that he couldn't a book using 50 words or less. Ted won the bet when he wrote Green Eggs and Ham.

In addition to seven doctorates from various colleges, Ted won an Academy Award, two Emmys, a Pulitzer Prize, and a Peabody. Shortly before his death, Ted was asked if he had anything left to say. He thought for a while and responded, "The best slogan I can think of to leave with the U.S.A. would be: We can...and we've got to...do better than this." Ted "Dr. Seuss" Geisel died on September 24, 1991, at the age of 87.

Each year on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the National Education Association (NEA) sponsors Read Across America Day. All around the United States, thousands of schools, libraries, and parents celebrate reading by bringing together kids of all ages with great books.

According to the NEA, reading is a key factor in student achievement. Researchers believe that children who spend more time reading do better in school. Each year on Read Across America Day, the NEA calls for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult.
Spectacular Seuss facts:

Although Dr. Seuss is famous for his children's books, he never had any children himself.

The word "nerd" first appeared as the name of a creature in Dr. Seuss' book If I Ran the Zoo.

Dr. Seuss studied at Dartmouth College in the United States and Oxford University in England.

Every spring, more than 300,000 students receive Oh, the Places You'll Go! as a graduation gift.

Dr. Seuss preferred the Germanic pronunciation of Seuss, which sounds like "zoice."

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If you've ever had a Wocket in your pocket or you know characters like the Lorax, the Grinch, or an elephant named Horton, you can probably guess who Theodor Geisel is. His full name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. Does that help? That's right! We're talking about the one and only Dr. Seuss.

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The true story is also a good one, as we learn in Judith and Neil Morgan's excellent biography Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel (the primary source for what you are now reading). During his senior year at Dartmouth College, Ted Geisel and nine of his friends were caught drinking gin in his room.