Non-Fiction Review - Biography by Kathleen Krull

Book Cover Photo Source: Barnes and Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Boy-on-Fairfield-Street/Kathleen-Krull/e/9780375822988/?itm=1, accessed October 27, 2008.

Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SUESS. Ill. By Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 0375822984

Plot Summary
This book is an introduction to the life of children’s author and illustrator Ted Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. The story takes us through his childhood growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts and leaves us when he is 22 and living in New York prepared to make it as a writer and illustrator.

In The Boy on Fairfield Street the focus is on his childhood including his love of zoo animals, his affection for writing and drawing, and his unusual way of looking at the world around him. Readers of all ages will identify with this familiar author and will delight in hearing about how he came to be known around the world as “Dr. Seuss”.

Critical Analysis
“Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals.” So begins this wonderful biography of Dr. Seuss for young readers. The easy to read narrative describes how early on, Geisel showed an affection for drawing (even on his bedroom walls), “whatever popped into his head.” In high school he took one art class but quit when his teacher “scolded him for breaking the rules.” At the urging of his favorite English teacher he applied to and was accepted at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Ted went to college and tried to find what he was good at but as Krull tells us, he “was clearly gifted, though no one knew at exactly what. It wasn’t as if men could doodle for a living.” It was after getting in trouble with the campus humor magazine that he began to sign the name “Seuss” to his work. The story ends with his career as Dr. Seuss still to come.

The full-page illustrations in the story by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher give off the warm glow of an ideal upbringing. They are nostalgic in nature and have a “Norman Rockwell” feel to them. Dr. Seuss’ whimsical drawings are scattered through the pages as well, a constant reminder of just who Ted Geisel grew up to become.

At the end of the book there are several pages of additional information about Dr. Seuss after the story ends, including how he got his start in children’s books, information about his personal life, and a list of his works (all of which are still in print). My favorite thing about this charming book was how the author and illustrators included his favorite toy dog Theophrastus, his first stuffed animal and a gift from his mother. He is introduced to us as she is reading young Ted a bedtime story and we see him throughout the book in various scenes. Reading this story and thinking about how Ted Geisel’s books have spanned generations, remind us of how important his life was to children everywhere.

Review Excerpt(s):
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Featured in spot art, familiar Seuss characters frolic through these pages, thematically complementing the illustrations while reminding readers why Geisel's life is worth celebrating.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This picture-book biography is a winner. Ted Geisel was not an athletic child, and spent his free time roaming his neighborhood in Springfield, MA, and hanging out with his best friend. Except for encountering some strong anti-German sentiment, his childhood was ideally normal.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Bordered, full-page oil-on-gessoed-paper illustrations evoke pertinent scenes, while spot art of Seuss drawings dot the opposite pages. Some of these original images are absolutely haunting; the magic of his name will make this a huge hit, but it's the lively writing that puts the hat on the cat.”

Connections:

Do a class study on the life of Ted Geisel. Have the students predict when they think he wrote each book and then do a timeline of when each book was published to see if they were correct.
Other books of the life of Ted Geisel:
THE SEUSS, THE WHOLE SEUSS, AND NOTHING BUT THE SEUSS: A VISUAL BIOGRAPHY OF THEODORE SEUSS GEISEL. ISBN 0375822488
OH THE PLACES HE WENT: A STORY ABOUT DR. SEUSS-THEODORE SEUSS GEISEL. ISBN 0876146272