Book Summary: This book is a biography of Dr. Seuss' life. It discusses some of his experiences growing up and how these experiences led him to become the author and illustrator that everyone knows and loves. His dad was a zookeeper, and his experiences there are what inspired him to start drawing animals. The book also tells about his life in college.
My Impressions: I really enjoyed reading this book! I learned a lot of details about the life of Dr. Seuss that I did not know before. He was a really interesting man! It was interesting to read about the time the president was going to present him and 9 other children with an award, but he ran out of awards by the time he got to Dr. Seuss. This experience really seemed to have a profound impact on his life and caused him a great deal of social anxiety. My favorite part of the book was reading about he was voted "Most Unlikely to Succeed" in college by his fraternity brothers. I bet they felt pretty silly after seeing all of his success!
Professional Review: K-Gr 4-- This picture-book biography is a winner. Ted Geisel was not an athletic child, and spent his free time roaming his neighborhood in Springfield, MA, and hanging out with his best friend. Except for encountering some strong anti-German sentiment, his childhood was ideally normal. The clear, large-type text concentrates on Geisel's youth. It delves a bit into his cartooning talent, honed while he was at Dartmouth College. The story ends with his successful career as Dr. Seuss still to come. An appended four-page section succinctly sums up his life and accomplishments. Johnson and Fancher's lovely, full-page illustrations are supplemented by samples of Dr. Seuss's artwork, including scenes from The Cat and the Hat and The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. A complete list of Seuss's titles, in chronological order, rounds out the title. Mae Woods's Dr. Seuss (ABDO, 2000) devotes more space to his adult life and career. Krull's work is a terrific look at the boyhood of one of the most beloved author/illustrators of the 20th century.
Callaghan, A.C. (2004, January). [Review of the book The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss, by K. Krull]. School Library Journal, 50(1), 119. Retrieved from http://schoollibraryjournal.com
Library Uses: This book could be used in a book display as part of a celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2nd). The librarian could display this book, some of his children's books, pictures of him, and stuffed animals modeled after characters from the books he was written.
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