Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss. New York, NY: Random House. ISNB 0-375-92298-9.
Summary: This heavily-illustrated biography of Theodore Geisel chronicles his boyhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, the influence of his parents, his education, and finally his early successes as an illustrator. The book ends with the future Dr. Seuss, age 22, living in Greenwich Village, immersed in his art, with his whole career ahead of him. Krull chooses to end the book here, however, in an addendum “On Beyond Fairfield Street” provides a four-page summary of his life and a comprehensive list of the “Great Works Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss.”
Ted Geisel was born in 1904 to a first-generation German-American family who nurtured Geisel’s curiosity and creativity. His mother read to him at bedtime and his father, who eventually became superintendent of parks in Springfield, told the younger Geisel about the antics of the zoo animals. His idyllic childhood was not without trials. He was often teased for being different, suffered discrimination during the WW I years, and was rebuked by an art teacher who told him “he would never be successful at art” (20). In addition, me met with mixed success at college, being more interested in drawing and creating fanciful stories than academics.
Ted Geisel did not give up in the face of adversity and rejection. He persisted, encouraged by a fellow student who would later become his wife, and sold his first cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post for $25. This was the beginning of an illustrious career. His mother always wanted him to become a doctor and he did indeed become one of the most famous in the world: Dr. Seuss.
Analysis: This picture book biography is both informative and engaging. The illustrations, along with the inclusion of original Seuss drawings, are helpful not only in understanding his youth but his later career as well. Johnson and Fancher use detailed watercolor paintings executed in a style reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Americana. They portray a warm and inviting childhood using figures that, while not cartoonish and definitely not caricature are not realistic either. They are not sharp images and their soft, hazy character enhances the feeling of going back in time to experience Geisel’s world. They complement the storyline without being obtrusive.
Krull’s prose is simple, straightforward, and linear, with no attempt made at humor, conjectured dialogue, or evaluation. It is a gentle narration of an ideal childhood and as a read-aloud book will create a feeling of calm, optimism, and empowerment. It is designed to be read in one sitting and does not lend itself to skimming. No table of contents or index is provided and no glossary is required, as Krull does not use complex language or terminology. The few instances of words that may be unfamiliar to a student (skeet shooting, bratwurst) do not justify a glossary and can be explained ahead of time. Perhaps here is the only place where the illustrations fall short as the illustrators could have easily incorporated these into their drawings.
A “For Further Reading” list is provided, leading the reader to assume that the majority of information for this book was gleaned from those sources. If this is indeed the author’s sources of information, it would be better to call it a Bibliography. As it is, it is unclear as to what the author’s sources are and therefore difficult to determine the accuracy of the information, although there is no reason to believe that any inaccurate information is present. Including a comprehensive list of all of Dr. Seuss’ published works, while not encouraging critical thinking, may stimulate evaluation and a desire to seek out and read more Seuss titles.
This book is a wonderful introduction to the life of Dr. Seuss as well as a glimpse into a simpler time. For children living an increasingly complex and hectic lifestyle, this book will serve as a delightful respite, a glimpse into early 20th Century life, and an inspiration to follow their dreams.
Reviews:
Booklist: “Krull's pithy text is extended by full-page paintings that glow with the memory of yesteryear and capture the mix of humor and poignancy that comes with trying to fit in. Spot art from Geisel's own books enlivens the text pages.”
Publishers Weekly: “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.”
Children’s Literature: “Kids who doodle when they are supposed to be doing something else will find redemption in the story of Ted Geisel's childhood. The book is a perfect reminder to teachers of how powerfully early experiences can shape our lives as adults and to kids that a favorite author was once a child himself.”
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.”
Kirkus Reviews: “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:
Use this biography to motivate children to read other biographies of writers, artists, filmmakers or musicians. Examples of biographies are Walt Disney: Young Movie Maker by Marie Hammontree, Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush by Beverly Gherman, or Michael Jackson by Theresa Overbey.
Create a display of Dr. Seuss books such as Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and The Butter Battle Book. Include stuffed characters, other books about Dr. Seuss, DVDs of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who, and an audio book such as the Dr. Seuss Audio Collection narrated by the author. This could be done in March as he was born March 2, 1904.
Create an age-appropriate crossword puzzle or word search based on the book. A good site for creating custom crossword puzzles is available at Online Crossword Puzzle Maker (http://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/).
A good site for creating word search puzzles is A to Z Teacher Stuff(http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/word-search-maker/wordsearch.php).
Have the children create an illustrated timeline of the early life of Dr. Seuss. This can either be done free form on blank paper or a format could be provided (such as a street or tree). Have them choose the ten events that had the most impact on Dr. Seuss’ life. This artistic activity also uses one of the higher-level thinking skills, evaluation, as the students themselves must decide which events were most important.
Brainstorm with the students and create a list of ways in which Dr. Seuss felt different (he spoke German, he had a three-legged dog, he didn’t do well at sports). Lead a discussion about being different. Have students share (on a volunteer basis) ways in which they are different. The teacher/librarian might want to go first (“everyone in my family is right-handed but I’m left-handed” for example). Examine the positive aspects of being different as well as the downside (being teased or ostracized). This discussion can be very valuable in showing appreciation for diversity and that it is OK to be different.
Dr. Seuss received a lot of fan mail. After reading more of his books, have the students write a fan letter to Dr. Seuss. These can be displayed in the library or the students may decide to keep them. The students can also create colorful envelopes to keep all their Dr. Seuss activities (word search, puzzle, fan letter, timeline). This can become a craft project using glitter, colored markers, and construction paper and would be a great end-of-unit activity.
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