Saturday, June 25, 2022

Fun Facts About the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

In 2003, Theodor Geisel, Springfield, Massachusetts native,  better known as Dr. Seuss was name the official state children's author and illustrator.

From Wikipedia: In May 1954, Life published a report on illiteracy among school children which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. William Ellsworth Spaulding was the director of the education division at Houghton Mifflin (he later became its chairman), and he compiled a list of 348 words that he felt were important for first-graders to recognize. He asked Geisel to cut the list to 250 words and to write a book using only those words.[53] Spaulding challenged Geisel to "bring back a book children can't put down".[54] Nine months later, Geisel completed The Cat in the Hat, using 236 of the words given to him. It retained the drawing style, verse rhythms, and all the imaginative power of Geisel's earlier works but, because of its simplified vocabulary, it could be read by beginning readers. The Cat in the Hat and subsequent books written for young children achieved significant international success and they remain very popular today. For example, in 2009, Green Eggs and Ham sold 540,000 copies, The Cat in the Hat sold 452,000 copies, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960) sold 409,000 copies—all outselling the majority of newly published children's books.[55]


14 comments:

  1. I knew DR, Seuss was from MA, but I didn't know there was a museum in Springfield. I am putting that on my list. Smile. And I'm with you. Yesterday was a very sad day for American women. Enjoy the beautiful day today. Hugs-Erika

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    1. There are actually 5 museums that make up the Springfield Museums. The Seuss museum and the sculpture park are just 2 of them. One admission price to all 5 museums.

      There will be many sad days to come. They will not stop at Roe.

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    2. Amen, Erika, on it being a sad day. I remember what it was like before Roe. It's scary :(

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  2. Some of those Dr. Seuss books were great favorites as read-alouds when the kids were little.

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    1. My favorite Seuss book is "Green Eggs and Ham", That was the very first book I could read all by myself.

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  3. I bet that was a fun 'field trip'! And I agree with Erika in the opinion that we are just at the beginning of being well and truly scr*#ed by the powers that be...... :(

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    1. My "Cousin" and I had such a great outing at the museums.

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  4. I had no idea. Very cool.
    Sandra. sandracox.blogspot.com

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  5. How nice to know. I am impressed that Geisel wrote for children and adults alike. To think some people want some of his books banned is still beyond my comprehension.

    I can't begin to say how I feel about Roe. If I did, I'd still be writing tomorrow without a pause. This is egregious and numbing, even though we were supposed to accept that it was coming. I felt for sure after the leak, there would be enough of a lash back that the court wouldn't go this far. BOY was I WRONG!!!

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    1. Geisel's books were not banned. There were 6 obscure books out of all his works. The executors of his estate decided not to continue publishing those 6 books. They felt the depictions of some of the characters were stereotypes (such as Chinese with coolie hats and pigtails) that had no relevance to the 21st century. The books are out of print. Not banned.

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  6. Wow fascinating history, thanks!! I just pulled out two of my books from Shel Silverstein...actually they were my eldest son's books and I am amazed once again at this guy's talent for writing.

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    1. Classic. And if you're interested, the USPS issued a Shel Silberstein Forever stamp in April of this year. The stamp illustration is from "The Giving Tree"

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