Dr. Seuss: American Icon

Dr. Seuss: American Icon by Nel, Philip. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780826414342.

Published in time for the centenary of Seusss birth in March 2004, Dr. Seuss: American Icon, celebrates one of the most influential authors and artists of the 20th century: Theodor Seuss Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss. Dr Seusss ascendance from childrens author to American icon confirms that his cultural significance rests not just with the beginning reader, but with the scholar, the artist, and the poet. Seusss Beginner Books(starting with The Cat in the Hat in 1957) have obscured the enormous range of his contributions to American literature. Similarly his art, unfairly overlooked because it appears in childrens books, cartoons, and commercials, actually covers a range of styles, including Surrealism, Art Nouveau, and Cubism. Bringing to light the adult perspective behind the childrens writer, Philip Nel examines Seusss lesser-known works, such as the adult book The Seven Lady Godivas (1939), and the live-action musical The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953). The book also features the most comprehensive Seuss bibliography ever produced, documenting his prodigious output. As well as establishing Seusss place among poets and artists, Dr. Seuss: American Icon links the Seuss people know and the Seuss people do not know.