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The Dr. Seuss Collection
READ BY RIK MAYALL A compilation of four zany favourites, with specially composed music and ridiculous sound effects: Dr Seuss's ABC The Lorax One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- GenresChildrens
Audio Cassette
First published October 21, 2002
About the author
Dr. Seuss
1,156 books18.7k followersAlso wrote as Theodore Seuss Geisel, see https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 29, 2014
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
There’s an expression my old High School lit teacher used to say: “Everything you need to know about life can be learned in Kindergarten.” Now I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know there’s some truth to it. Many of life’s problems would be solved if adults retained the unabashed honesty of children. But they don’t, and so our childhood lessons must be updated. The world’s troubles color the naivety of our youth, and we put aside kiddy books for heavier tomes—and heavier answers. Yet some still cling, as my teacher clung, to the above expression. There are those who reject mature nuance in favor of childlike simplicity. Their greatest champion, I would think, is Dr. Seuss.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was a man of the twentieth century. He fought in WWII, wrote political satire, and towards the end of his life attributed illiteracy among kids to crappy children’s books, rather than education. Having made the correct diagnosis he also developed the antidote: a corpus of quintessential literature for anyone under 10. I say quintessential because it’s hard to imagine better products. Seuss’s world is wacky and fun (there are no right angles) but can also be dark or spooky when the occasion calls. The rhyming flows smoothly while containing a lot of made-up words, which are somehow both innovative and intuitive. The characters are memorable, the plots focused. The art and text match well and Geisel’s style has become world famous. Every future children’s writer will be hard-pressed to top him.
Looking at his body of work we see three classes. The first are books for toddlers. These are simple “learning to read” texts that need not concern us, other than immersing ourselves in the delightful Seussian universe; books like Hop on Pop and One Fish Two Fish. The second class is a bit more famous, with many classic tales that warm our hearts and jog our minds: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hatches the Egg, The Sneetches, and so on. What makes these books so loved is the nonsensical whimsy wrapped around a shining nugget of truth—truth so plainly worn that only a child could appreciate it. As Seuss himself once remarked, sometimes the answers are simple and the questions are complicated. It’s particularly the adult world that breeds this complication, and the doctor arrives to treat—if not our sick grown-ups—than at least our budding youths.
This is a bit exaggerated, however. More often children read these tales without fully grasping the intended message, and instead revel in the world of the books. But a few of the lines stay with us. Seuss’ talent for bending small words and inventing new ones makes his poetry eminently quotable; indeed this is perhaps his greatest legacy. Almost every story has a line of perfection:
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
“I meant what I said and said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent!”
“And turtles, of course...all the turtles are free
As turtles, and maybe, all creatures should be.”
The problem with the above stories is that they’re, effectively but unfortunately, simple. Once we understand the message the art is spent. That’s why I designate but a third class of works which I feel are the strongest. They retain all the charm of the others but are a bit more nuanced; straightforward yet allow for ambiguity. In short they may be profitably read by adults. I crown such works as The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, and Oh the Places You’ll Go!
The Lorax is a lecture on environmentalism, but Seuss isn’t afraid to muddle the waters. The Onceler’s facelessness suggests the villain isn’t some abstract entity we can seek and destroy, but is ourselves. The seductive and well meaning path he follows is easy, and the immediate rewards are there for the taking. Indeed the Lorax is unable to stop the Onceler. The latter wins completely, and it is only in the retrospect of old age does he feel shame. We can see the devastation to the land during the process but underestimate the momentum until it’s too late. The story even ends on a dubious note. Sure the boy has a Truffula seed, but will he plant it? If he does, will not that tree be cut down? For once Seuss presents an easy problem with a difficult answer.
Horton Hears a Who contains my favorite Seussian character, Horton. He’s an elephant of both thought and action, principal and practicality. When encountering a tiny world that only he can hear, he trusts his lunacy and protects it against stark opposition. But to do this Horton relies on the Whos, the tiny people he’s helping. Their collective voice is what convinces the other animals, and without every last Who giving their best, all would have been lost. It’s not just Horton’s principals that impress me, or his courage in the face of cruelty. It’s that Seuss understood such heroism would fail if not for the support of the oppressed. They must help themselves, and not only does each voice count but each voice is necessary. (It’s also worth noting that the story’s villains weren’t so much defeated, as with Yertile, but converted.)
Oh the Places You’ll Go! is Seuss’ last and best work. It has no real narrative or characters, unless of course you count the reader. Meant to motivate and inspire it substitutes allegory with prediction. We readers, Seuss says, will go through life making many wonderful decisions as well as a few bad ones. We’ll meet obstacles and overcome them. We’ll from time to time find ourselves either alone or with good company. And most importantly, as the good doctors tells us, we’ll move mountains. It’s this final message that makes me adore the man’s body of work. No matter what kind of a kid you are, you’ll go through the same life as the rest of us. And despite some set-backs you’ll come out of it okay. Maybe even make a good friend, or have a fun adventure along the way.
Sometimes the most important thing a person can be told is that somebody believes in them. Even believe they will move mountains. And through all the overly-complex facets of adult life we can still find simple, child-like truths that not only guide us but make us smile. It’s wrong to say every story has a happy ending or that all of life’s troubles can be solved with good attitude or character. But it’s also wrong to ignore simple idiocy, and not call it out for what it is. I feel reassured that our children are learning such noble lessons by teachers like Doctor Seuss.
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
There’s an expression my old High School lit teacher used to say: “Everything you need to know about life can be learned in Kindergarten.” Now I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know there’s some truth to it. Many of life’s problems would be solved if adults retained the unabashed honesty of children. But they don’t, and so our childhood lessons must be updated. The world’s troubles color the naivety of our youth, and we put aside kiddy books for heavier tomes—and heavier answers. Yet some still cling, as my teacher clung, to the above expression. There are those who reject mature nuance in favor of childlike simplicity. Their greatest champion, I would think, is Dr. Seuss.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was a man of the twentieth century. He fought in WWII, wrote political satire, and towards the end of his life attributed illiteracy among kids to crappy children’s books, rather than education. Having made the correct diagnosis he also developed the antidote: a corpus of quintessential literature for anyone under 10. I say quintessential because it’s hard to imagine better products. Seuss’s world is wacky and fun (there are no right angles) but can also be dark or spooky when the occasion calls. The rhyming flows smoothly while containing a lot of made-up words, which are somehow both innovative and intuitive. The characters are memorable, the plots focused. The art and text match well and Geisel’s style has become world famous. Every future children’s writer will be hard-pressed to top him.
Looking at his body of work we see three classes. The first are books for toddlers. These are simple “learning to read” texts that need not concern us, other than immersing ourselves in the delightful Seussian universe; books like Hop on Pop and One Fish Two Fish. The second class is a bit more famous, with many classic tales that warm our hearts and jog our minds: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hatches the Egg, The Sneetches, and so on. What makes these books so loved is the nonsensical whimsy wrapped around a shining nugget of truth—truth so plainly worn that only a child could appreciate it. As Seuss himself once remarked, sometimes the answers are simple and the questions are complicated. It’s particularly the adult world that breeds this complication, and the doctor arrives to treat—if not our sick grown-ups—than at least our budding youths.
This is a bit exaggerated, however. More often children read these tales without fully grasping the intended message, and instead revel in the world of the books. But a few of the lines stay with us. Seuss’ talent for bending small words and inventing new ones makes his poetry eminently quotable; indeed this is perhaps his greatest legacy. Almost every story has a line of perfection:
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
“I meant what I said and said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent!”
“And turtles, of course...all the turtles are free
As turtles, and maybe, all creatures should be.”
The problem with the above stories is that they’re, effectively but unfortunately, simple. Once we understand the message the art is spent. That’s why I designate but a third class of works which I feel are the strongest. They retain all the charm of the others but are a bit more nuanced; straightforward yet allow for ambiguity. In short they may be profitably read by adults. I crown such works as The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, and Oh the Places You’ll Go!
The Lorax is a lecture on environmentalism, but Seuss isn’t afraid to muddle the waters. The Onceler’s facelessness suggests the villain isn’t some abstract entity we can seek and destroy, but is ourselves. The seductive and well meaning path he follows is easy, and the immediate rewards are there for the taking. Indeed the Lorax is unable to stop the Onceler. The latter wins completely, and it is only in the retrospect of old age does he feel shame. We can see the devastation to the land during the process but underestimate the momentum until it’s too late. The story even ends on a dubious note. Sure the boy has a Truffula seed, but will he plant it? If he does, will not that tree be cut down? For once Seuss presents an easy problem with a difficult answer.
Horton Hears a Who contains my favorite Seussian character, Horton. He’s an elephant of both thought and action, principal and practicality. When encountering a tiny world that only he can hear, he trusts his lunacy and protects it against stark opposition. But to do this Horton relies on the Whos, the tiny people he’s helping. Their collective voice is what convinces the other animals, and without every last Who giving their best, all would have been lost. It’s not just Horton’s principals that impress me, or his courage in the face of cruelty. It’s that Seuss understood such heroism would fail if not for the support of the oppressed. They must help themselves, and not only does each voice count but each voice is necessary. (It’s also worth noting that the story’s villains weren’t so much defeated, as with Yertile, but converted.)
Oh the Places You’ll Go! is Seuss’ last and best work. It has no real narrative or characters, unless of course you count the reader. Meant to motivate and inspire it substitutes allegory with prediction. We readers, Seuss says, will go through life making many wonderful decisions as well as a few bad ones. We’ll meet obstacles and overcome them. We’ll from time to time find ourselves either alone or with good company. And most importantly, as the good doctors tells us, we’ll move mountains. It’s this final message that makes me adore the man’s body of work. No matter what kind of a kid you are, you’ll go through the same life as the rest of us. And despite some set-backs you’ll come out of it okay. Maybe even make a good friend, or have a fun adventure along the way.
Sometimes the most important thing a person can be told is that somebody believes in them. Even believe they will move mountains. And through all the overly-complex facets of adult life we can still find simple, child-like truths that not only guide us but make us smile. It’s wrong to say every story has a happy ending or that all of life’s troubles can be solved with good attitude or character. But it’s also wrong to ignore simple idiocy, and not call it out for what it is. I feel reassured that our children are learning such noble lessons by teachers like Doctor Seuss.
May 13, 2010
My all-time favourite children's books, except for this other set by various authors about good manners and such that I simply cannot find. Doctor Seuss taught me good reading and speaking, forever in his debt. I had so many great times reading Doctor Seuss and getting my tongue-tied. XD
March 22, 2022
It is a good book for kids and they can wake have fun when they read it like picture it in their heads So so it's actually really good Forgets
💓😎
💓😎
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2024
Wonderful books but the narration is a bit dull.
September 20, 2009
Read on so many levels-- 2 1/2 to upper 30s to ???.
January 5, 2011
Now I have not read every book of this famous author's collection.
Read
February 8, 2011its a very interesting book with lots of complicated rhymes and slur like cat mouse rat blouse. Just kidding this isnt for the assighnment
February 29, 2012
so childish
December 4, 2014
Many great stories
December 28, 2014
Dr. Seuss and Rik Mayall are two of my favourite people of all time. This was fantastic.
Read
September 30, 2010best book ever really good favorite of all
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews