Theodor Geisel (1904-1991) was a children's author-illustrator and commercial cartoonist, best known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss.

Taking his professional name from his middle name (his mother's maiden name, which rhymes with voice in its original pronunciation), Seuss wrote more than 60 books, including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who!, and The Cat in the Hat. His writing was distinguished by his complex rhyme schemes (often using anapestic tetrameter) and the creation of unusual or elaborate names and words, such as Sneetches or Oobleck. Geisel's illustration style was highlighted by his trademark horseshoe eyes for characters and teetering, elliptical towers and loops in architecture.

All of these elements were incorporated by The Jim Henson Company into the 1996 series The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, which made use of many of the characters created by Geisel (The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, The Grinch, Sam-I-Am, and others), as well as creating new characters and landscapes by melding the Seuss style with the Muppet aesthetic.

That same year, Jim Henson Pictures optioned the rights to a live-action version of the Seuss book Oh, the Places You'll Go!. The film was never produced.

Muppet set designer William Beeton cited Geisel, along with Henry Moore, as part of the inspiration for the soft curves and arches in the caves of Fraggle Rock.

Geisel's other work included countless political cartoons and scripts for WWII propaganda films, the occasional adult book such as The Seven Lady Godivas (1939), and the screenplay for the movie The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, which featured Seussian architecture and costume elements.

References

• In Episode 0183 of Sesame Street, Big Bird presents some "picture poems" to his friends. One depicts a cat in a hat; Big Bird says he got the idea from a book by somebody named Seuss.

• In The Sesame Street Storybook, Geisel is given a shout-out by illustrator Michael K. Frith in which the words "Hi, Ted!" are written on the doors to Big Bird's nest.

• A copy of How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is seen in Count von Count's library in Episode 0721 of Sesame Street.

• Ferlinghetti Donizetti uses "Dr. Seuss" as a rhyme for "goose" in Episode 2000 of Sesame Street.

• After hearing a kid read her poem in Episode 2176 of Sesame Street, one of the Two-Headed Monster's heads chants the word, "Seuss!"

• The cover for the Sesame Street home video Getting Ready to Read shows Oscar reading a book, The Grouch in the Pouch.

• In Dinosaurs episode "Terrible Twos," The Babysitter reads to Baby Sinclair from the bedtime book, Blue Eggs and Toast, a take-off of Green Eggs and Ham.

• Episode 2960 of Sesame Street reveals Wolfgang's favorite book is One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

• The Sesame Street song "Doing the Family Thing" includes a shot of a woman reading I Can Read with My Eyes Shut to a kid.

• The season three Animal Show episode "Fish" references the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

• On Muppets Inside, one of the suggestions to a question on Trivial But True! is The Grinch.

• In the pilot for Bear in the Big Blue House, during the "What Do You Think?" segment, a boy can be seen wearing a shirt with The Cat in the Hat on it.

• Fozzie Bear was mistaken for the Grinch in a sequence from It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, after being accidentally painted green. The scene features two "Who"-like characters in elaborate make-up, specifically referencing the 2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas film adaptation.

• In the prologue to a "Trash Gordon" segment on Sesame Street (First: Episode 4091), Oscar the Grouch offers Slimey some storybook alternatives, including The Brat in the Hat by Dr. Puce.

• The closing scene of Episode 4135 of Sesame Street features Oscar reading Slimey Rotten Eggs and Jam by Dr. Sewage, featuring Scram-I-Am and Gordon as a Cat in the Hat-esque character. Earlier in the street story, a Dr. Seuss book is seen at the Library.

• Gordon's Cat hat from the Rotten Eggs and Jam story reappears in Episode 4168 among the several hats magically stacked on top of his head.

• On the "Rats" page in The Muppets Character Encyclopedia, Yolanda (donning a sunhat) is labeled as "The Rat in the Hat."

• In Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Ernie mentions having a copy of The Cat in the Hat on his nightstand.

• In a promotional photo for Sesame Street in Communities, Big Bird reads Green Eggs & Ham to some kids.

• Grover wears a Cat in the Hat hat in The ABCs of COVID-19 as part of an unsuccessful attempt to explain the concept of "mindfulness" (which he thinks means when you wear a big hat on top of your head and you let your mind fill it all up).

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Library Leapfrog," Summer Penguin discovers the book "Rat in the Hat" at the library.

Muppet Mentions

• In the Seth Meyers episode of T'is the Grinch Holiday Podcast (officially co-produced by Dr. Seuss Enterprises), the Grinch (voiced by SNL cast member James Austin Johnson) mentions his distrust of corporations after the failure of Tickle Me Grinch.

Book Connections

In addition to his own illustrations and writing, Geisel oversaw many sub-series under the "Dr. Seuss" label and collaborated with other artists under such pen names as Rosetta Stone and Theo LeSieg (Geisel backwards). Many of these artists also worked on Muppet/Sesame Street books.

• Mel Crawford illustrated the 1952 book version of Gerald McBoing Boing, written by Geisel as a children's record and adapted for an Oscar-winning animated short.
• Michael K. Frith served as editor-in-chief for the Seuss Beginner Books series, and illustrated the 1975 book Because a Little Bug Went Ka-choo, written by Geisel as Rosetta Stone. Frith appeared as an interviewee in the documentary, The Political Dr. Seuss.
• Linda Hayward conceived and wrote the Dr. Seuss Beginner Fun book series.
• Joe Mathieu illustrated The Tooth Book in 2000 and The Eye Book in 1999, written by Geisel under the pen name Theo LeSieg
• Michael J. Smollin illustrated the 1980 Theo LeSieg book Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet!!

Connections

• Eddie Albert voiced the opening narrator in The Lorax (TV, 1972)
• John Alexander played a shopper in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Dee Bradley Baker voiced the Chickeraffe and other characters in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Alec Baldwin played Larry Quinn in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Tim Blaney puppeteered on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Carol Burnett voiced Sour Kangaroo in Horton Hears a Who (film, 2008)
• Daws Butler voiced Karlos K. Krinklebein the Fish in The Cat in the Hat (TV, 1971)
• Mae and Marilee Canaga were specialty costumers on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Steve Carell voiced Ned McDodd in Horton Hears a Who (film, 2008)
• Jim Carrey played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000) and Horton in Horton Hears a Who (film, 2008)
• Dan Castellaneta voiced Thing 1 and Thing 2 in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Darren Criss played Looka in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2022)
• Billy Crystal played the Voice of America in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Benedict Cumberbatch voiced the Grinch in The Grinch (film, 2018)
• Tim Curry voiced Finagel in Daisy-Head Mayzie (TV, 1995)
• Danny DeVito voiced the Lorax in The Lorax (film, 2012)
• Daveed Diggs voiced Squeaky in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Charles Durning voiced Grandfather Yook in The Butter Battle Book (TV, 1989)
• Zac Efron voiced Ted Wiggins in The Lorax (film, 2012)
• Dakota Fanning played Sally in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Matt Frewer played the Cat in the Hat in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Ilana Glazer voiced E.B. in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Albert Hague composed the songs for How the Grinch Stole Christmas (TV, 1966)
• Sean Hayes played Mr. Humberfloob and voiced the Fish in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Ed Helms voiced the Once-ler in The Lorax (film, 2012)
• Ron Howard directed How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Eddie Izzard voiced Mr. Snerz in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Bill Irwin played Lou Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Rashida Jones voiced Donna Who in The Grinch (film, 2018)
• Keegan-Michael Key narrated Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Christopher Lloyd played Mr. Hunch in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Howie Mandel voiced Sam-I-Am in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• James Marsden played Bo in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2022)
• Andrea Martin played an ad woman in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Rita Moreno played Dookess in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2022)
• Cathy Moss wrote two episodes of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (TV, 2010-2018)
• Mike Myers played The Cat in the Hat in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Kathy Najimy played Kathy Lane in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Laraine Newman provided additional voices in Horton Hears a Who (film, 2008), The Lorax (film, 2012), and The Grinch (film, 2018)
• Rosie O'Donnell played the Cat in the Hat, as a replacement, in Seussical (Broadway, 2001)
• Rob Paulsen voiced various characters in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)
• Joe Raposo wrote the music and songs for Halloween is Grinch Night (TV, 1977), Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (TV, 1980, where he also did a voice), and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (TV, 1982)
• Deep Roy played a postal clerk in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Molly Shannon played Betty Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Martin Short voiced the Cat in the Hat in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (TV, 2010-2018)
• Jenny Slate voiced Mrs. Wiggins in The Lorax (film, 2012)
• Hal Smith voiced a German-accented narrator in The Hoober-Bloob Highway (TV, 1975), Grandfather Josiah in Halloween is Grinch Night (TV, 1977), and Good Fairy-in-Chief and others in Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (TV, 1980)
• Patrick Stewart played Sgt. Mullvaney in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Tara Strong provided additional voices in The Grinch (film, 2018)
• Jeffrey Tambor played Mayor August Maywho in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Jim Thurman voiced the Cat in the Hat and others on several Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Videos (video, 1989)
• Frank Welker voiced various roles in The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (TV, 1982), Horton and others in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994), Max the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000), and Nevins the dog in The Cat in the Hat (film, 2003)
• Betty White voiced Grammy Norma in The Lorax (film, 2012)
• Lillias White played a shopper in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film, 2000)
• Pharrell Williams narrated The Grinch (film, 2018)
• Robin Williams played a father in In Search of Dr. Seuss (TV, 1994)
• Jonathan Winters voiced Dr. Eisenbart in Daisy-Head Mayzie (TV, 1995)
• Jeffrey Wright voiced McGinkle in Green Eggs and Ham (TV, 2019)

External links

• Bio Page
• Dr. Seuss Wiki