Imagine that! : how Dr. Seuss wrote The cat in the hat / by Judy Sierra ; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

Title:

Author:

Sierra, Judy,

Additional Author(s):

Hawkes, Kevin

ISBN:

9780553510973

0553510975

9780375974298

0375974296

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Info:

New York :

Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm

Summary:

Presents an account of the early career of Ted Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, describing how he adhered to strict literary guidelines while writing "The Cat in the Hat."

Personal Subject:

Seuss, Dr.-Juvenile literature.

Subject(s):

Authors, American -- 20th century -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Illustrators -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Children's literature -- Authorship -- Juvenile literature.

Children's stories, American -- History and criticism -- Juvenile literature.

Holds: Copies (not including on-order items):

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Shelf Location	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Library 21c	Children's Book	813.52 SEUS	Children's-J-Biography	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Library 21c	Children's Book	813.52 SEUS	Children's-J-Biography	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Penrose Library	Children's Book	813.52 SEUS	Children's-J-Biography	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

A lively new picture-book biography of the most beloved children's book author of all time: Dr. Seuss!

Have you ever wondered how the great Dr. Seuss wrote his most famous book? Did you know that for The Cat in the Hat, he wasn't allowed to make up the fun words he was known for--like OOBLECK and IT-KUTCH and HIPPO-NO-HUNGUS? He was only allowed to use words from a very strict list!

This bouncy account of the early career of Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Ted Geisel) proves that sometimes limitations can be the best inspiration of all.

Kid-friendly prose (with Seussian rhyme for Ted's dialogue) and whimsical illustrations by award winner Kevin Hawkes recall the work of Dr. Seuss himself. Writing tips from Dr. Seuss and exclusive letters from the author and illustrator, detailing how they created this book, are included!

Author Notes

JUDY SIERRA has written over thirty-five books for children, many of which have won awards, received glowing reviews, and made bestseller lists. Before she became a full-time writer, Judy worked as a children's librarian, a puppeteer, and a college professor. She grew up in Falls Church, Virginia, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Bob Kaminski, and their dog, Keiko. Visit her on the Web at judysierra.net.

KEVIN HAWKES is the illustrator of over forty acclaimed picture books and chapter books, including Chicken Cheeks, Library Lion, The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, Weslandia, and Sidewalk Circus. His vibrant colors, unusual perspectives, and dry sense of humor are hallmarks of his work. He lives with his charming wife and children in southern Maine, where he can often be found wandering aimlessly in his garden. When forced indoors, he works quite happily painting cobalt-blue skies, imaginary landscapes, and flying pianos. Visit him on the Web at kevinhawkes.com.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-3-The 1950s was a boring time for beginning readers in the United States. After a critic wrote about the lack of fun books in this category, Seuss was determined to write one of his very own. Limited by the words that could be used for such a book, he created the classic The Cat in the Hat. Adults and children alike will enjoy reading about Seuss, his funny hats, and all the work that went into making one of the most well-known children's book characters of all time. Hawkes adeptly uses Seuss-like illustrations to tell his story, incorporating famous Seussian words, characters, and the man himself throughout. Children will love to learn more about this renowned author and how he came up with such a simple but ingenious book. Educators could use this work for various writing activities and lessons. Also Sierra's focus on how long it took Seuss to finish his masterpiece will communicate to young readers the stamina it takes to create. VERDICT An easy addition to any elementary school nonfiction collection.-Molly -Dettmann, Moore Public Library, OK © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

"1954 was a great year to be a kid, unless you were trying to learn how to read," quips Sierra in this look at how Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, endeavored to create a beginning reader "so exciting that [children] couldn't stop turning the pages." It took Geisel more than a year to get The Cat in the Hat just right; although Sierra writes mostly in prose, she occasionally slips into Seussian rhyme, as if to channel the pieces coming together in Geisel's mind. Amid representational portraits of Geisel, Hawkes dives headlong into the wooly world of the books he created, blending imagination and reality-in one scene, Geisel walks up a swoopy staircase to his studio, trailed by furry and feathery nonsense creatures. It's an engrossing and amusing glimpse of creativity in action and the making of a children's book classic. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

As this picture-book bio opens, readers learn that 1954 was a great year to be a kid, unless you were trying to learn how to read. The reason? School readers were just plain boring. (Sorry, Dick, Jane, and Sally.) So it fell to Theo Geisel, already famous as Dr. Seuss, to figure out how to write simple books with mostly one-syllable words selected from an approved list. Like, for example, cat and hat. Matching simple rhymes with spunky sketches turned out to be the key, and the rest, of course, is history. Sierra and Hawkes' collaboration here is more about process than personality (though the good doctor is seen wearing some fairly audacious hats as he works). Seussian images of creatures like the Cat are scattered throughout the pages, and Hawkes' own images of humor (a giant typewriter spewing stories) alternate with more staid pictures of the pondering doctor. Author and illustrator notes, along with writing tips from Geisel, complete this story of how a phenomenon was born.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2017 Booklist