While a number of his books have a philosophical message, of course some of his books were just for fun. Twenty-seven publishing companies rejected his first book, And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, partly because it lacked a clear lesson. Apparently, in those days, the protocol was that children’s books must have a moral. Dr. Seuss said to his wife, “What’s wrong with kids having fun reading without being preached at?” Finally, Vanguard Press published the book in 1937.
He won the Pulitzer Prize, and virtually every children’s book award. Seven universities honored him with doctorates in literature and fine arts. (So he was really a doctor after all!)
His 82nd birthday, March 2, 1986, was the publication date of his book You’re Only Old Once. Leave it to Dr. Seuss to make us laugh at old age!
Dr. Seuss died in 1991 at age 87. But his books live on, to make us smile and make us think.