On the Up Books

Award-winning author Kathleen Krull zeros in on the formative first 22 years of the life of Ted Geisel. This is the first picture book biography of Dr. Seuss, written especially for his young fans who want to know what made him tick. The animals in the zoo that his father ran and his fondness for drawing them, the injustices he suffered as the child of German immigrants, and his inherent sense of humor all fed into the imagination of this boy. He was a square peg in a round hole until he found that he could make a living doing exactly what he pleased—doodling and writing funny things about the world as he saw it.

The last section of the book outlines the important events in his adult life. In addition to the evocative paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, the book is profusely decorated with art from Dr. Seuss books.

Kathleen Krull is the author of Harcourt’s popular “Lives of . . .” series and the award-winning Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman. The author lives in San Diego, CA.

Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher illustrated New York’s Bravest, My Many Colored Days, and other distinguished picture books. They live in Minneapolis, MN.