Who was Dr. Seuss?

Who was Dr. Seuss is a biography and memoir book written by Janet B. Pascal and illustrated by Nancy Harrison in 2011. It was intended for children from ages 8-12.

This book recounts all the important facts of Theodor Seuss Geisel's life before he became Dr. Seuss and what led him to become Dr. Seuss. His parents would always take Theodor to the zoo, which he loved. When they got home, he would draw pictures of the animals he saw on his bedroom walls. They never looked quite right, so he gave them sill names and created his own kind of creatures.

Pascal included a bibliography at the end of the book, so the information should be accurate since she can prove its origins. Dr. Seuss had quite an exciting life; Pascal shows all the important details, accomplishments, and even some interesting tidbits. The illustrations in this book are hand drawn sketches that follow along with the story and help the reader see what is happening at the time.

I thought this book was very interesting. I learned a lot of things about Dr. Seuss that I never knew before. I think this is a great book for children to read because they would learn a lot about a well known and popular children's author. Other books by Janet B. Pascal are:

• Who was Abraham Lincoln?
• Where is the Empire State Building?
• What is the Panama Canal? (What was?)
• What was the Great Depression?
• Who was Isaac Newton?

Motivational Activities:

• Write a letter to Dr. Seuss. Ask him questions, or tell him about ideas you have. Tell him about your favorite books of his and why.
• Make up your own silly story with wacky characters to match.

Reader Response Questions:

• What do you think of Dr. Seuss' life?
• What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
• If you could spend the day with Dr. Seuss, what would you talk to him about? What would you want to do?

 Pascal, J. B., & Harrison, N. (2011). Who Was Dr. Seuss? New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap.