Bibliography:
Krull, K., Johnson, S., Fancher, L., & Seuss, . (2004). The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss. New York, NY: Random House.
Book Summary:
This is the story of how Theodore Seuss Geisel grew up to be Dr. Seuss. He grew up on Fairfield St with his immigrant parents, Ted was a very imaginative boy who used to draw on the walls of his room. As he got older, it was his mother's dream that he would grow up to be a doctor. Little did she know, her creative son would become a very memorable Dr., just not quite the kind that she thought.
My Thoughts:
I have always been a big fan of Dr. Seuss, and learning about his life really gave me some perspective on him. This particular book provided an abundance of quality information about one of the most beloved children's book authors of all time. It really was a great read, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone that wants to learn about the life of the great Dr. Seuss!
Professional Reviews:
*“Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals.” So begins this young biography of Dr. Seuss. Taunted at school because he was German, his escapes were drawing, the comics he loved, and the zoo, where his father was the parks superintendent in Springfield, Mass. His high-school art teacher warned him he’d never be successful at art; in Dartmouth he was voted “Class Artist and Class Wit,” and he left Oxford to draw and write verse. Truly only about his youth, the narrative ends at age 22, when Seuss goes to New York City to launch his career. Four following pages provide a synopsis of his life and a timeline up to his death in 1991. Bordered, full-page oil-on-gessoed-paper illustrations evoke pertinent scenes, while spot art of Seuss drawings dot the opposite pages. Some of these original images are absolutely haunting; the magic of his name will make this a huge hit, but it’s the lively writing that puts the hat on the cat.
(2003, December 15). [Review of the book The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kathleen-krull/the-boy-on-fairfield-street/#review
*Krull's (V Is for Victory ) fond tribute to Dr. Seuss focuses on the well-loved author/artist's youth. Growing up in Springfield, Mass., Ted Geisel "feasted on books and was wild about animals" and "excelled at fooling around." The informal, anecdotal narrative explains that Geisel early on demonstrated a passion for drawing (even on his bedroom walls) "whatever popped into his head." He took only one art class, in high school, and quit when the teacher scolded him for "breaking rules" and told him he would never be successful. While attending Dartmouth, Geisel was admired for his "talent for silliness" and, Krull notes with comic irony, "He was clearly gifted, though no one knew at exactly what. It wasn't as if men could doodle for a living." The tale ends rather abruptly as the 22-year-old Geisel arrives in New York City to embark on his artistic career. A four-page addendum, presented in a smaller font, chronicles the highlights of Dr. Seuss's publishing career and provides intriguing tidbits about the creation of some of his beloved books. Johnson and Fancher's (New York's Bravest ) representational, nostalgic paintings effectively evoke both the period and Geisel's appealingly puckish personality. Featured in spot art, familiar Seuss characters frolic through these pages, thematically complementing the illustrations while reminding readers why Geisel's life is worth celebrating.
(2004, January 12). [Review of the book The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull]. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-375-82298-8
Suggested Activities:
I will do a Dr. Seuss themed storytime and we will make crafts for the children to take home. Some options would be to draw pictures of favorite Dr. Seuss characters, make Cat in the Hat hats out of construction paper, or even the Lorax (by tracing their hands for his mustache and gluing them to a pre-cut head).
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