children's lit. 3.5.2014
TRANSCRIPT
AGENDA 3.5.2014• Dr. Seuss Trivia• Teaching With Folk Literature-
Stephanie• Digital Story Telling- Christina• Literature Circle Led by Amy• Modern Fantasy vs. Science Fiction
What is Dr. Seuss’s Real Name?
Born Theodor Geisel in 1904 in Springfield, MA
Where Did the Seuss come from in Dr. Seuss?
Full name…. Theodor Seuss Geisel
Actually pronounced /soice/ not /soose/
It was his mother’s maiden name
Never held a doctorate degree…Used Dr. as a tribute to his father’s wish for him to earn his doctorate from Oxford.
Used as his pen name during college after being prohibited from writing for the school publication because of breaking prohibition laws while student at Dartmouth University
Who did Seuss design ads for before he became an author?
In the late 1920s, Standard Oil hired Theodor Geisel to create a number of advertisements for its insecticide, Flit.
What was the Title of Dr. Seuss’s
First Published Book? In 1937, Mr. Geisel and his wife, Helen, were returning to
the United States from an ocean trip to Europe when the rhythmic sound of the ship's engine suggested to him the idea of writing an equally rhythmic text for a children's book.
After sending the book manuscript to nearly 30 publishers (and receiving an equal number of rejections), Vanguard Press finally agreed to publish the book.
What Word Did Dr. Seuss Invent?
NERD!The book was published in 1950.
What Is Dr. Seuss’s Best
Selling Title?The book Green Eggs and Ham only
contains 50 different words.
Dr. Seuss wrote the book based on a bet. A publisher at Random House bet him $50 that he couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less.
Dr. Seuss won the bet!
Which Dr. Seuss Book Made the ALA’s Annual List of Banned and Challenged
Books? The Lorax is about a woodland creature (the Lorax) that
lives among the trees. The Once-ler is a little creature that cuts down trees and uses them for multiple uses. The Lorax quickly realizes that the Once-ler is killing the forest and so the Lorax persuades him to stop cutting down trees.
The Lorax was banned because it portrays the foresting industry in an arguable negative way. Some people felt that this book was persuading children to be against logging.
Name one of awards that Dr. Seuss won
during his career? Pulitzer Prize in1984. “for his contribution over nearly half a
century to the education and enjoyment of America’s children and their parents.”
An Academy award for “Gerald McBoing-Boing” (Best Cartoon, 1951).
An Emmy for “Halloween is Grinch Night” (Best Children’s Special, 1977), and “The Grinch Grinches the Cat” (Best Children’s Special, 1982)
A Peabody for the animated specials, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and “Horton Hears a Who!”, 1971
He never received a Newberry or Caldecott medal for any of his works.
Who is the Character “The
Grinch” Based on?
Dr. Seuss himself! As he said in December 1957, just after How the Grinch
Stole Christmas! was published, “I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noted a very Grinchish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! Something had gone wrong with Christmas, I realized, or more likely with me. So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”
Seuss’s license plate would later read “GRINCH.”
If Dr. Seuss Was Still Alive, How Old Would He Be This Birthday?
110 years old!
A Few More Interesting Dr. Seuss
Items! Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated forty-four that have been translated into
fifteen different languages.
Thirty of those books have been adapted for TV or a movie.
Two hundred million copies were sold by the time he died.
Though famous for his children’s books, “You’re Only Old Once”, subtitled ‘A Book for Obsolete Children’, written for adults, was published in 1986. It made the New York Times adult best-seller list and thirteen hundred people stood in line at a New York bookstore to get his autograph on the book.
“The Butter Battle Book” was introduced at his eightieth birthday celebration. One of his more controversial books because of its similarities to current military events, it was written to raise awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons. It had the honor of being the only children’s book to appear for six months on the New York Times best-seller list for adults.
Dr. Seuss has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame
Married twice, he never had children of his own. His wife once said that children “frightened him”.
His friends and family called him Ted.
He had other pen names which include: Theo LeSieg (“Geisel” spelled backwards), Rossetta Stone, Theophrastus
Seuss
Seuss was a practical joker who liked to tweak his editors. His editor Michael Frith recalls receiving a draft page for Dr. Seuss’s ABC, in which Seuss drew a large-breasted woman and the following verse: “Big X, little x. X, X, X. / Someday, kiddies, you will learn about SEX.” That does not appear in the book. Seuss was just making sure that Frith was paying attention.
The Cat in the Hat was written as a result of a 1954 report published in Life magazine about illiteracy among school children. A text-book editor at a publishing company was concerned about the report and commissioned Ted to write a book which would appeal to children learning to read, using only 250 words given to him by the editor.
My Many Colored Days and The Bipplo Seed and Other Stories were written by Dr. Seuss and published after his death.
Modern Fantasy vs. Science Fiction Sort
Cut out each box
Read the idea in each box (book title, category, author or information)
Decide if it describes modern fantasy or science fiction
Sort each idea accordingly