WAS DR. SEUSS A REAL DOCTOR?
A favorite author for over 100 years, Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1902. Today, we celebrate the birthday of the famous “Dr. Seuss” by hosting Read Across America events throughout the month of March. Schoolchildren around the country celebrate the “Doctor’s” birthday by making hats, giving presentations, and holding read-aloud circles featuring some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous books.
But who was Dr. Seuss? Did he go to medical school? Where was his office? You may be surprised to know that Theodor Seuss Geisel was not a medical doctor at all. He took on the nickname Dr. Seuss when he became a noted children’s book author. He earned the nickname because people said his books were “as good as medicine”. All these years later, his nickname has lasted and he is known as Dr. Seuss all across the world.
Think back to when you were a young child. Did you ever want to try “green eggs and ham.”? Did you try to “Hop on Pop”? Do you remember learning about the environment from a creature called The Lorax? Of course, you must recall one of Seuss’ most famous characters; that green Grinch who stole Christmas. These stories were all written by Dr. Seuss and featured his signature rhyming words and letters. They also featured made-up words in order to enhance his rhyme scheme and even though many of his characters were made up, they sure seem real to us today.
And what of his “signature” book, The Cat in the Hat? You must remember that cat and Thing One and Thing Two from your childhood. Did you know that in the early 1950s, there was a growing concern in America that children were not becoming avid readers? This was, book publishers thought because children found books dull and uninteresting. An intelligent publisher sent Dr. Seuss a book of words that he thought all children should learn as young readers. Dr. Seuss wrote his famous story The Cat in the Hat, using those words. We can see, over the decades, just how much influence his writing has had on very young children. That is why we celebrate this doctor’s birthday each March.
From the line "His novels were like medication," what can we infer?
Correct! Wrong!
Explanation:
In order to compare the novels to medicine, the author uses a simile. When you want to feel better, you take medicine. They are advising people to read Dr. Seuss books if they want to feel nice.