The stories behind Dr Seuss’ most beloved books
For decades, kids and big kids alike have fallen in love with the whimsical works of Theodor Seuss Geisel – more commonly known as Dr Seuss. But did you ever stop to think about what it was that inspired such bizarre (albeit brilliant) stories? Join us as we find out the motivation behind these iconic books.
1. The Cat in the Hat
Remember those boring beginner books we used to be forced to read back in the day? Well, Dr Seuss found them just as boring as we did – so he decided to do something about it. The Cat in the Hat was his way of getting kids interested in the material and making them not even realise they were learning to read. “I have great pride in taking Dick and Jane out of most school libraries,” he once said. “That is my greatest satisfaction.”
2. Green Eggs and Ham
This iconic book wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for a little challenge between Dr Seuss and his editor Bennett Cerf. Cerf bet Seuss he wouldn’t be able to write a book using just 50 words – but Seuss did just that. And, if you were wondering, the words are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.
3. The Lorax
Perhaps the most ambiguous of all his works, fans and critics of The Lorax believe it has a myriad of interpretations, from a commentary on the danger of consumerism and the need to protect the environment to even a metaphor for depression. According to Seuss, the book “came out of me being angry. In The Lorax, I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.”
4. Horton Hears a Who!
Seuss was inspired to write Horton Hears a Who! after visiting Japan in 1953, when the country was undergoing a great cultural and societal upheaval – a concept which led to the main theme of the book, “a person’s a person no matter how small.” Before and during World War II, Seuss harboured intense anti-Japan sentiments, but his visit completely changed his opinion – he even dedicated the book to a Japanese friend.
Tell us in the comments below, what was your favourite Dr Seuss book as a child?