Theodor Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss

As a child, he would spend days with his parents at the local zoo, drawing animals which came so naturally to him that his father bought him a sketchbook to encourage his son. He would sketch in it every weekend, and even his mother allowed him to paint on the walls of his room.

In the 1920s, his father closed his brewery due to the prohibition. It was probably no coincidence that he then chose to become the head of the same local zoo that he soon would frequent. He could go to the zoo as often as possible thanks to his father, sketching to his heart's content. Something that he would go on to do for the rest of his life.

But that is not to say that his childhood was all suns and rainbows. From the early days of the first world war, he would be made fun of by his peers for being German. That continued even after the war, making young Theodore an introvert from early childhood. However, it is not to say that he was an ill-spirited child. He was known amongst his few friends to be always of good humor.

Later in life, when he went to Dartmouth College, he would draw humorous comics for the local magazine. He was so good and talented that within a year, Theodore became their chief editor, yet even that was only the beginning of a lifelong literary career.

Probably even more importantly, he started using his famous moniker of "Dr. Seuss." One night he was caught by the dean drinking an illegal bottle of gin and was quickly removed from the magazine. But that did not stop the optimistic Theodore, who continued writing for the magazine in secret, using the alias of Dr. Seuss.

When asked why he opted for Dr. instead of Mr. Theodore, he explained that his father always hoped he would become a veterinarian because of his love for animals. He knew it was thanks to his father that he fell in love with animals as much as he did. Thus, he chose to keep the Dr.

His first publication was in 1927, after he left Oxford University and moved to New York. Though he was writing for a humorous magazine, by the contract, he could not write for an adult audience which in turn pushed him towards making comics for children.

Which is exactly how his first book, "And to To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," was published in 1937. But he found great difficulty in getting it on the bookshelves. At the time, children's books were only meant to teach them manners, while Dr. Seuss wrote more about escapism and how much a child can find their mind's eye. It took one of his friends from college to finally get it published, and even then, it barely saw any moderate success.

Of course, that did not deter Dr. Seuss from writing as he did. Fun is something that was always in his stories, first and foremost. He disliked the trends of the time where children's books needed to be coated by thin veils of rules, thinking that imagination and freedom were far more important to a child.

His next book, "Horton Hatches the Egg," saw far wider success when published in 1940. It quickly became a hit among its young audience but seeing as the US was on the brink of joining the second world war, Seuss would be forced to take a long break from writing children's books.

He was a staunch, vocal figure when it came to the war in Europe, believing that the US had a moral obligation to join the war. His cartoons of the time reflected that, as he drew Hitler instead of animals. Seuss even joined the army and became a captain for his propaganda work. There he worked with Stan Lee, of the Marvel fame, on short cartoons and comics to boost the troops' morale.

But it wasn't until after the war that he wrote his most famous works, such as "The Cat in the Hat" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Both books were published in 1957, written very simply using no more than 235 different words so all children in school could understand them.

The books exploded in popularity. By 1960, each had sold over a million copies. Moreover, even the parents loved them, claiming the stories increased their children's literacy.

Afterward, he wrote "Green Eggs and Ham," using only 50 words, as a challenge from a friend. The book sold just as well as the previous two, showing that writing a quality book was not about using fancy words and vocabulary but about imagination, first and foremost.

He authored over 60 books, and in 1984 he won the Pulitzer Prize for children's books, having been translated into over 30 languages. Today he is seen as a timeless author, one who teaches each new generation of children, young or old.

Theodor Geisel was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 1991 and died the same year. He was 87. During his lifetime, he did not allow movies or merchandise to be made from his characters and stories. Yet after his death, his wife Audrey allowed movie studios and toy stores to buy the rights to his most loved works, but not without her oversight in each of the projects. However, some have accused her of exploitation and greed. She has stood by the idea that this way, in an ever-changing world, newer generations can also be exposed to her husband's work.

Today, his estate is worth around 75 million dollars. Most of the money his wife gives to the Dr. Seuss Foundation. This non-profit organization donates most of its money to various causes, most of which involve children. I believe Ted Geisel would have been happy, knowing that years after his death, his stories are still having an impact on children just as they did when he was alive.