THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW ED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS. Ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375922985

1. PLOT SUMMARY:
THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS introduces the life of renowned children's author and illustrator Ted Geisel, popularly known as Dr. Seuss, focusing on his childhood and youth in Springfield, Massachusetts. It reveals how Ted Geisel enjoyed drawing and doodling as a child and how his passions was misunderstood by others. It goes on to detail what it was like for him growing up on Fairfield Street. He surprises many by attending Dartmouth College and writing for the college humor magazine and with Ted going to Oxford and meeting his future wife. Ted Geisel discovers that he can make a living writing and drawing. It ends when he is twenty-two and “his future looked bright.” Additional pages complete Ted’s life “On Beyond Fairfield Street” and provide a bibliography of works written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET is a great biography for students under-12 and is beautifully illustrated and tenderly written. The full page paintings by Johnson and Fancher further create the setting and a feeling of nostalgia begun by Krull’s well-written text. The soft, muted illustrations complement the visual created by Krull. The inclusion of Geisel’s own drawings adds a little Seuss-flavor to the tale of his life. It is written in smaller font to show it is an account of Dr. Seuss later years of life. This makes it easier for the reader to pick what he/she needs concerning the undertakings of Dr. Seuss. The front cover of the work of art looks like an attractive picture book because it is decorative and colorful. Children would find it enjoyable to read because how the text is written and the cartoon caricatures beneath the passages. The decorative paintings help to communicate his feelings, reactions, and what activity he was engaging in doing a moment in time. Krull presents the factual information in an entertaining and educational manner. This book is a tool that can be used to encourage children to read books written by Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who help to revolutionize the children book industry. This is a great book to share read with your students in your classroom!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*Review in BookList: “A delightful picture-book biography about Geisel that chronicles how he became an innovative writer and illustrator beloved by readers young and old.”
*Starred review in School Library Journal: “This picture-book biography is a winner...Krull’s work is a terrific look at the boyhood of one of the most beloved author/illustrators of the 20th century.”
*Review in Library Media Connection: “Kathleen Krull presents a touching view of the life of Ted Geisel from early childhood visiting the zoo to his young adult years at Dartmouth College, as well as the poignant events that shaped his life.”
*Publishers Weekly
Krull's (V Is for Victory) fond tribute to Dr. Seuss focuses on the well-loved author/artist's youth. Growing up in Springfield, Mass., Ted Geisel "feasted on books and was wild about animals" and "excelled at fooling around." The informal, anecdotal narrative explains that Geisel early on demonstrated a passion for drawing (even on his bedroom walls) "whatever popped into his head." He took only one art class, in high school, and quit when the teacher scolded him for "breaking rules" and told him he would never be successful. While attending Dartmouth, Geisel was admired for his "talent for silliness" and, Krull notes with comic irony, "He was clearly gifted, though no one knew at exactly what. It wasn't as if men could doodle for a living." The tale ends rather abruptly as the 22-year-old Geisel arrives in New York City to embark on his artistic career. A four-page addendum, presented in a smaller font, chronicles the highlights of Dr. Seuss's publishing career and provides intriguing tidbits about the creation of some of his beloved books. Johnson and Fancher's (New York's Bravest) representational, nostalgic paintings effectively evoke both the period and Geisel's appealingly puckish personality. 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. Ages 6-12. (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
*Bluebonnet Award (NOMINATED) 2006North Carolina Children's Book Award
(NOMINATED) 2006New York State Charlotte Award

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Students may write a response to the story and draw caricatures, cartoons, or pictures to complement their response.
*Collective biographies by Kathleen Krull:
Lives of Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152480097
Lives of Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152001032
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152008079
Lives of Presidents: Fame, Shame (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152008086