Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield, Massachusetts 108 years ago today. He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel. Here's a list of trivial bits about the author and illustrator who helped generations of children learn (and love) to read.

1. He got caught drinking gin with some friends while in college at Dartmouth. His punishment was that he had to resign from his extracurricular activities, including his writing for humor magazine. He got around it by writing as Seuss (his Mom's maiden name). He added the "Dr." after college while working for The Judge.

2.  The actual German pronunciation of Seuss rhymes with voice, but the American pronunciation that rhymes with goose has stuck.

3. He went on to earn his title of Dr. (in English Lit) at Lincoln College, Oxford. But...it's about a girl. He met Helen Palmer who he would marry in 1927. He returned to the US, sans degree.

4.  Helen suffered from chronic illness, including cancer and committed suicide in 1967.

5. Audrey Stone Dimond would be his second and final wife.

6. Geisel has never won neither the Caldecott nor the Newbery Medal.

7. The Cat in the Hat is comprised of only 236 different words. I could list them all, but the folks at Seussville have listed them all in a handy, printable PDF.

8. Geisel used the pen name Theo LeSieg for books that he wrote and others illustrated.

9. LeSieg is Geisel spelled backwards.

10. He wrote one book, Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo, using the pen name Rosetta Stone. He wrote this book with his friend Michael K. Frith who illustrated it. Geisel wasn't sure he wanted to put his name on it, so he had Frith come up with a pseudonym for him.

11. The moral of the story: The Lorax (environmentalism and anti-consumerism); The Sneeches (racial equality); The Butter Battle Book (the arms race); Yertle the Turtle (Hitler and anti-consumerism); How the Grinch Stole Christmas (criticizes the materialism and consumerism of the Christmas season); Horton Hears a Who! (anti-isolation and internationalism).

12. He wrote books for adults using the same style of verse and pictures: The Seven Lady Godivas; You're Only Old Once!; and his last book written a year before his death, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

13. Curiously, Geisel had no biological children of his own. Helen was unable to bear children. He was a stepfather to Audrey's two daughters. When Dr. Seuss was asked how he could connect with children in spite of not having his own, he said, "You have 'em, and I'll entertain 'em."

And entertain 'em he did.  And still does.

14. The National Education Association's Read Across America Day is the nation's largest reading event, occurring each year on or near Dr. Seuss' birthday. This year it is on his birthday. Today. "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child."

Happy reading,
Angela

John Steinbeck was Born Today

Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author, John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was born in Salinas, CA on February 27th  in 1902. Steinbeck gave us Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Pure brilliance!

He was an only son to John Ernst Steinbeck, Sr. and Olive Hamilton. He was the second child and only boy. His father, an accountant served for many years as Monterey County treasurer. His mother a former school teacher, shared her son's passion for reading and writing. John was raised as an Episcopalian.

Born and raised on some of the world's most fertile land, and working summers on nearby ranches, he saw first-hand the harsher aspects of working as a migrant worker. He explored his surroundings which became the setting for many of his novels.

He graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 and went on to Stanford University until 1925. He took only courses that interested him there and left without a degree. He set off for New York City via a freighter in 1928.

Once in New York, he worked as a reporter and as part of the construction crew that built Madison Square Garden. He was also soaking up lots of info for his first novel, Cup of Gold (1929) which turned out an unsuccessful attempt at romance involving the pirate Henry Morgan. Failing to have his work published, he went back to California.

Back in California in 1928, he worked as a tour guide and caretaker at a fish hatchery. That's where he met Carol Henning, with whom he fell madly in love and would be his first wife. They were married in January of 1930. Right smack-dab at the beginning of what would be The Great Depression. Not the marriage, THE Great Depression. Not a great time to get married.

Anywho...after they were married, his parents helped the newlyweds out. They lived in a cottage owned by his Dad in Pacific Grove, CA. Rent free. His parents also gave him paper for his manuscripts and loans to allow him to focus on writing.

Finally, Tortilla Flat was published in 1935 which allowed him to build a ranch-home in 1940. He then went on a voyage with his wife around the Gulf of California. But it was too late for their relationship. Their marriage ended in 1941.

In 1942, he married Gwendolyn Conger with whom he had his only children - Thomas ("Thom") Myles Steinbeck and John Steinbeck IV.

He served as a WWII war correspondent in 1943 and began trips to the USSR in 1947. Steinbeck's book, A Russian Journal was published in 1948. In May, John's close friend, Ed Ricketts was seriously injured in a car vs. train accident. Yep. He died. While he was in town for his friend's funeral, Gwyn told him she wanted a divorce. (Shocker. He was gone for quite some time). By his own account, Steinbeck spent the year after Rickett's death in a deep depression.

In 1949 he met Elaine Scott at a restaurant in Carmel, CA. Yep. You guessed it, they married within a week of Elaine divorcing her husband. They were married until his death on December 20th, 1968.

Bibliography

Cup of Gold : a Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History. – New York : McBride, 1929

The Pastures of Heaven. – New York : Brewer, Warren & Putnam, 1932

To a God Unknown. – New York : Ballou, 1933

Tortilla Flat. – New York : Covici-Friede, 1935

In Dubious Battle. – New York : Covici-Friede, 1936

Of Mice and Men. – New York : Covici-Friede, 1937

Of Mice and Men : a Play in Three Acts. – New York : Covici- Friede, 1937

The Red Pony. – New York : Covici-Friede, 1937. – Enlarged edition, New York : Viking, 1945

Their Blood Is Strong. – San Francisco: Simon J. Lubin Society, 1938

The Long Valley. – New York : Viking, 1938

The Grapes of Wrath. – New York : Viking, 1939

Sea of Cortez : a Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research / by John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts. – New York : Viking, 1941. – Republ. as The Log from the Sea of Cortez. – New York : Viking, 1951

The Forgotten Village. – New York : Viking, 1941

Bombs Away : the Story of a Bomber Team. – New York : Viking, 1942

The Moon Is Down. – New York : Viking, 1942

The Moon Is Down : a Play in Two Parts. – New York : Dramatists Play Service, 1942

Cannery Row. – New York : Viking, 1945

The Pearl. – New York : Viking, 1947

The Wayward Bus. – New York : Viking, 1947

A Russian Journal. – New York : Viking, 1948

Burning Bright : a Play in Story Form. – New York : Village Press, 1950

Burning Bright : a Play in Three Acts. – New York : Dramatists Play Service, 1951

East of Eden. – New York : Viking, 1952

Viva Zapata! - Rome: Edizioni Filmcritica, 1952

Sweet Thursday. – New York : Viking, 1954

The Short Reign of Pippin IV : a Fabrication. – New York : Viking, 1957

Once There Was a War. – New York : Viking, 1958

The Winter of Our Discontent. – New York : Viking, 1961

Speech Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. – New York : Viking, 1962

Travels with Charley : In Search of America. – New York : Viking, 1962

America and Americans. – New York : Viking, 1966

Journal of a Novel : The East of Eden Letters. – New York : Viking, 1969

Steinbeck : a Life in Letters / Ed. by Elaine Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten. – New York : Viking, 1975

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights : From the Winchester Manuscript and Other Sources / Ed. by Chase Horton. – New York : Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1976

Steinbeck and Covici : The Story of a Friendship / Thomas French, ed. – Middlebury, Vt. : P. S. Eriksson, 1979

The Uncollected Stories of John Steinbeck / edited by Kiyoshi Nakayama. – Tokyo: Nan'un-do, 1986

John Steinbeck on Writing / edited by Tetsumaro Hayashi. – Muncie, Ind.: Steinbeck Research Institute, 1988

Working Days : The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath, 1938-1941 / edited by Robert DeMott. – New York : Viking, 1989

America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction / Ed. by Susan Shillinglaw & Jackson J. Benson. – New York : Viking, 2002. – Publ. in England as Of Men and Their Making : the Selected Non-Fiction of John Steinbeck. – London : Allen Lane, 2002

What is your fav Steinbeck work?

Happy reading,
Angela

Author Spotlight: Sue Miller

Photo: Debi Milligan

Sue Miller is celebrating her 68th birthday today. She was born on November 29, 1943 in Chicago. At 16, Sue graduated high school and went on to study and earn a degree from Radcliffe College. She fell in love with a med student while she was there, and they were married. In 1968, their son, Ben was born. Since Sue was supporting the family while hubby was in med school, and now there was a baby to take care of, there was no time to write.

In 1970,  they were divorced, and Sue would be a single parent to Ben. She made ends meet by working in a daycare center and renting her place out for extra money.

In 1977 she became very serious about her writing. It paid off, because in 1979 she was awarded a fellowship to Boston University's creative writing program which allowed her to devote a large amount of time to writing.



In 1983, she was awarded the Bunting Fellowship through Radcliffe. Between the fellowship and a grant, Sue was able to write full time. And in 1986, when she was 43, Sue Miller's first novel, The Good Mother, was published. It became a bestseller and was made into a film in 1988.

Her second novel, Inventing the Abbotts was published in 1987 and also made into a film in 1997.

While I Was Gone, published in 1999 became Oprah's Book Club Pick in 2000.

Ms. Miller is now a professor at Smith College in Northampton, MA where she teaches creative writing. 

Novels

The Good Mother (1986)
Family Pictures (1990)
For Love (1993)
The Distinguished Guest (1995)
While I Was Gone (1999)
The World Below (2001)
Lost in the Forest (2005)
The Senator's Wife (2008)
The Lake Shore Limited (2010)

Nonfiction
The Story of My Father (2004)

Wisconsinite: Lois Ehlert

(via Amazon)

Lois Ehlert is an author and illustrator of children's picture books, most having to do with nature. 

Ms. Ehlert was born (November 9, 1934) and raised in Beaver Dam, WI. Her mother was a seamstress who shared fabric scraps with her, most likely fostering her love for creating collages. Her father was also creative with a basement workshop and always had scrap lumber and nails available for Lois to use.

Ms. Ehlert graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a degree in English and Psychology. Then she went to the Layton School of Art. After graduating, she worked as an apprentice in an art studio delivering illustrations. She worked on her own art in the evenings.

She now lives in Milwaukee, WI.

 


Books written/ illustrated by Lois Ehlert:

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2011)
Illustrations and rhyming text follow ten caterpillars as one wriggles up a flower stem, another sails across a garden pool, and one reaches an apple leaf, where something amazing happens.

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert (2011)
The narrator describes discovering how Ralph the dog can talk, appropriately saying words such as "roof," "rough," "bark," and "wolf."

Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert (2010)

A collection of poems about animal camouflage and adornment.

Boo to You! by Lois Ehlert (2009)

When the neighborhood cat tries to crash the mice’s harvest party, the mice have a plan to scare the intruder away.

Chicka Chicka  Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989; 2009)
An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree. Awards: American Library Association Notable Children's Book; Boston Globe - Horn Book Award.

Oodles of Animals by Lois Ehlert (2008)
Short, easy to read rhymes reveal what is unique about various animals, from ape to wolf.

Wag a Tail by Lois Ehlert (2007)
Assorted graduates of the Bow Wow School meet at a farmers market and a dog park, where most of them remember their obedience training.

Eating the Alphabet: fruits and vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert (1989; 1996; 2006)
An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini.

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (2005)

A man made of leaves blows away, traveling wherever the wind may take him. On die-cut pages.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert (1987; 2004)

A father and child grow vegetables and then make them into a soup.

Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert (1993; 2004)

A rascally squirrel has an indoor adventure in a city apartment.

Pie in the Sky by Lois Ehlert (2004)
A father and child watch the cherry tree in their back yard, waiting until there are ripe cherries to bake in a pie. Includes a recipe for cherry pie.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2004)
Numbers from one to one hundred climb to the top of an apple tree in this rhyming chant.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (1988; 2003)
A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden.

Crocodile smile: 10 Songs of the Earth as the Animals See It by (written and sung) Sarah Weeks; songbook illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2003)
Contents: Piece of jungle -- Pretty tree -- I’ve never eaten a princess -- I am not a hat -- Take it slow -- Crocodile smile -- Being extinct -- Pad, pad, pad -- I’m an animal -- Let it spin.

In My World by Lois Ehlert (2002)
Describes some of the many things in the natural world--such as worms, seashells, flowers, and stars--that a child can appreciate.

Fish Eyes: a book you can count on by Lois Ehlert (1990; 2001)
A counting book depicting the colorful fish a child might see if he turned into a fish himself.

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert (1995; 2001)
Some children create a family out of snow. Includes labeled pictures of all the items they use, as well as information about how snow is formed. Award: Publishers Weekly Book of the Year

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert (2001)

With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden.

Market Day: a story told with folk art written and designed by Lois Ehlert (2001)

On market day, a farm family experiences all the fun and excitement of going to and from the farmers’ market.

Top Cat by Lois Ehlert (1998)

The top cat in a household is reluctant to accept the arrival of a new kitten but decides to share various survival secrets with it.

Angel Hide and Seek by Ann Turner; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1998)

Exploration of the natural world reveals barn angels, a butterfly angel, a sea angel, and other marvelous creatures.

Cuckoo: a Mexican Folktale/ CuCu: un cuento folklorico mexicano by Lois Ehlert; translated into Spanish by Gloria de Aragon Andujar (1997)

A traditional Mayan tale which reveals how the cuckoo lost her beautiful feathers. Award: Booklist Editors' Choice

Hands by Lois Ehlert (1997)
When a child works alongside her parents doing carpentry, sewing, and gardening, she thinks of being an artist as well when she grows up.

Under My Nose by Lois Ehlert; photographs by Carlo Ontal (1996)
Author and illustrator of books for young people, Lois Ehlert, shares how she interweaves her creative process with her daily routine.

Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1996)

Introduces pattern recognition as a sock searches the house for its lost mate.

Mole's Hill: a woodland tale by Lois Ehlert (1994)

When Fox tells Mole she must move out of her tunnel to make way for a new path, Mole finds an ingenious way to save her home.

Words by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1993)

Circus by Lois Ehlert (1992)

Leaping lizards, marching snakes, a bear on the high wire, and others perform in a somewhat unusual circus.

Moon Rope: a Peruvian folktale/ Un lazo a la luna: una leyenda peruana by Lois Ehlert; translated into Spanish by Amy Prince (1992)

An adaptation of the Peruvian folktale in which Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope woven of grass.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert (1991)

A child describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling.

Color Farm by Lois Ehlert (1990)

The rooster, dog, sheep, cow, pig, and other animals on a farm are made up of colorful shapes such as square, circle, rectangle, and triangle. Features die-cut pages.

Feathers for Lunch for Lois Ehlert (1990)

An escaped housecat encounters twelve birds in the back yard but fails to catch any of them and has to eat feathers for lunch. Awards: IRA Teachers' Choice; NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts

Thump, Thump, Rat-a-Tat-Tat by Gene Baer; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)

A distant marching band grows larger and louder as it nears, and then softer and smaller as it goes away again. 

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert (1989)

Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another. Award: Caldecott Honor Book.

Beginning to Learn About Shapes by Richard L. Allington; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1979)

Introduces 19 geometric figures with activities involving shapes and size relationships.

Number Families by Jane Jonas Srivastava; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1979)
Explains how every number is part of a family and functions differently.

The Visit by Diane Wolkstein; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1977)
Follows a little ant's journey, step-by-step, as she goes to visit her friend.

What Do You Think I Saw?: a nonsense number book by Nina Sazer; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1976) 
Introduces the numbers one to ten while describing in rhyme the unusual things a young rhinoceros sees on the way to town.

The Great Flower Pie by Andrea DiNoto; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1973)
Five hungry friends decide to bake a flower pie for lunch.

Mathematical Games for One or Two by Mannis Charosh; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1972)

What is that Sound? by Mary L. O'Neill; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1966)
What is the sound of a giggle? The sound of love? What is a baa, a croak, a growl, a chirp? How does the city sound, and the country? What is music, and jazz? What is the sound of air, the sound of day, the sound of night? — To think about such sounds is to think about all the things that happen to us and all of the things we feel inside; it is t...  more »o ask what life and living are all about.

Limericks by Edward Lear; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1965)