Seuss, Dr., pseud. of Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904–91, American author and illustrator of children's books, b. Springfield, Mass, grad. Dartmouth College, studied Lincoln College, Oxford. After working as freelance cartoonist, he became a newspaper cartoonist in 1941. During World War II he worked with animator Chuck Jones and Frank Capra, producing informational cartoons. His books , published beginning in the postwar America of the 1950s, are known for their blend of whimsy, zany humor, catchy verse, and outlandish illustrations. His style is evidenced in such books as Horton Hears a Who (1954), The Cat in the Hat (1957), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), and Oh, the Places You'll Go! (1990). In 1986 he published You're Only Old Once, about growing old. Although some early critics objected to his carefree style and sometimes violent illustrations, his books are immensely popular. A museum devoted to his books is in Springfield, Mass.
See biographies by J. and N. Morgan (1995), D. E. Pease (2010), and B. J. Jones (2019).
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