Review: THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS by Kathleen Krull

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 0375822984

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Dr. Seuss is a name known throughout the world. Most of us grew up reading his whimsical rhymes and marveling at his creative illustrations. In this book, Kathleen Krull gives the reader the inside scoop as to what young “Dr. Seuss” (a.k.a. Ted Geisel) was like when he was a boy.

She begins by about his interests in reading and animals, after all, his father ran the local zoo. We also learn that he was raised in a family that valued reading and education. His mother dreamed of sending Ted and his sister to college from the time they were very young. Interestingly, Krull relates stories of hardship during Ted’s childhood, from being teased about his German heritage to having art teachers who could not understand his unique style of drawing.

As he entered young adulthood, we hear about his “foolish” ways and how he was even forced to resign as editor of his college magazine due to his party image.

Finally, as the book draws to a close, we learn of the early successes of Ted Geisel. After having some of his work published in some major magazines, he decided to move to New York and follow his dream.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kathleen Krull offers the reader an in-depth look into the early years of one of the most popular children’s authors of all time. The story allows children to identify with young Ted by reading about his favorite pastimes, which are quite similar to many other children’s beloved activities. Children can also relate to the teasing he suffered from classmates and his teachers’ disdain for his nonsensicality.

The paintings of Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher really capture the innocence and simplicity of the times. The expressions on the faces of the subjects add a spark of depth and personalization to the information that is being presented. Including actual illustrations from various Dr. Seuss books on each page also helps further student interest.

Although the story ends as Ted moves into his apartment in New York, there are four pages that follow the story which tell about the major milestones in his professional career including details about how some of his most famous books came to be. There is also a list of books written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss at the end of the book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST review: "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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
Watch the video In Search of Dr. Seuss to provide students with additional information regarding the life of Dr. Seuss. Compare facts between the video and Krull’s book.

This book is an excellent resource to use when planning a unit about Dr. Seuss. There are numerous activities online and in print to complement a study of this famous author.

Of course, read Dr. Seuss books! Challenge students to read not only the Beginner Books but also some of the longer books. They could even do a comparison between the two types of books.