The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss [Hardcover]

Theodor Geisel (Illustrator), Maurice Sendak (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 1995

These fabulous, whimsical paintings, created for his own pleasure and never shown to the public, show Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) in a whole new light. Depicting outlandish creatures in otherworldly settings, the paintings use a dazzling rainbow of hues not seen in the primary-color palette of his books for children, and exhibit a sophisticated and often quite unrestrained side of the artist. 65 color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Beyond Dr. Seuss's work for children is an entirely different world--perhaps similar in whimsy and humor, but even more wondrous. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is a short (less than 100 pages) and beautiful full-color coffee-table book filled with cartoons, sketches, and oil paintings. The collection of birds, cats, lions, and pointy-headed people is fairly familiar territory for any true Seuss fan, but with a deeper amount of detail and more sophisticated tones. A favorite design in ink is titled "Impractical Marshmallow Toasting Device"--it's easy to see Seuss didn't find art to be a serious business. And could the oil painting "Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks" be a rendition of Cat in the Hat's evil twin? A wonderful, intriguing book for Seuss fans of all ages. --Jill Lightner

From the Inside Flap

These fabulous, whimsical paintings, created for his own pleasure and never shown to the public, show Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) in a whole new light. Depicting outlandish creatures in otherworldly settings, the paintings use a dazzling rainbow of hues not seen in the primary-color palette of his books for children, and exhibit a sophisticated and often quite unrestrained side of the artist. 65 color illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 95 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (October 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679434488
• ISBN-13: 978-0679434481
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.6 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers
  • #85 in Books > Arts & Photography > Individual Artists
  • #86 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles

More About the Author

"A person's a person, no matter how small," Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. "Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted."

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped millions of kids learn to read.

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1925, he went to Oxford University, intending to acquire a doctorate in literature. At Oxford, Geisel met Helen Palmer, whom he wed in 1927. Upon his return to America later that year, Geisel published cartoons and humorous articles for Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at that time. His cartoons also appeared in major magazines such as Life, Vanity Fair, and Liberty. Geisel gained national exposure when he won an advertising contract for an insecticide called Flit. He coined the phrase, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" which became a popular expression.

Geisel published his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, in 1937, after 27 publishers rejected it.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, an Academy Award, three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three Caldecott Honors, Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 books. While Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Cool Cat, December 31, 2002

By 

CodeMaster Talon (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss (Hardcover)

Best known of course for his dearly beloved children's books, Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) was also an supremely talented artist, as this collection of his paintings and sculptures attests. Far more detailed than the illustrations of his books, the paintings in particular range from gently witty to absolutely dazzling.

Many great painters use the canvas to tell a story; Seuss goes a step farther. Each of his paintings are like a portal into an amazing little world. "Cat Detective in the Wrong Part of Town" evokes a seedy 50's mystery story, but with cats. Cats, by the way, are a major theme of this collection. They pop up everywhere, doing everything: Dancing the night away in "Cat Carnival in West Venice", playing pool in "Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks", even taking a shower in "Cat in Obsolete Shower Bath (Study)". Seuss packs a lot of feeling into his subjects; "Lonely" sums up isolation about as well as anything I've seen, and several untitled pieces each show one lone bird flying serenely above a stormy sea. My favorite painting is entitled "I Dreamed I Was a Doorman at the Hotel del Coronado". With its dreamy South American feel and bright colors it reminds me of an old Technicolor movie from the forties.

I can't recommend this book enough, the paintings are just wonderful. I never get tired of looking at them. A complete must-own for any Seuss fan, or just any lover of the whimsical. A+

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful view of Seuss' "other" work, March 31, 2002

By 

J. J. Kwashnak "voracious reader" (Monroe, LA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss (Hardcover)

While few would contend at the genius Seuss put into his writing, with distinctive meter, use of words and rhyme, sometimes overlooked is the artwork that illustrated this strange world. Theodor Geisel was an accomplished illustrator. Unfortunately, most of what we saw of his work was only what was published in the books. This volume introdues you to a wider range of his work. There are not only his paintings, but his studies in 3-D of some of the whimsical cross-bred characters that were his hallmark. But there is also a sense of the adult audience in these - with jokes and puns aimed squarely above the kid level. For many of us, we delighted in Dr. Seuss as children, and delight with our children today, but this book shows us that Seuss was speaking to everyone, not just the kids, and we are richer for it. An impressive collection of artwork to make you smile.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seuss Specifically For Adults, August 12, 2004

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss (Hardcover)

I have been fascinated with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) since I was a kid and my Mom and Dad would read Seuss stories to me. I had an interesting perspective of Seuss from a young age, though. My father, an English Professor, was writing his Doctoral dissertation on "Transformational Grammar in the Works of Dr. Seuss". In this treatise (which involved a good bit of math, it turns out: my Dad's undergraduate education was in Metallurgical Engineering) my Dad approached Seuss from a very adult point of view. Even after growing up, I would continue to marvel at the seeming simplicity of the Seuss tales, while grasping the incredible complexity underlying them all. Needless to say, my late father deserves credit for initially exploring these facets with me.

With that background, I had been looking forward to a compendium of the Seuss "adult" art. This is it, and it is glorious. These pieces are at once similar stylistically to his animation for kids (although I really do believe that kids of all ages love Seuss), but on the other hand are much earthier and adult. To my delight many of these pieces feature cats, but some of the cats are decidedly not friendly, witness, for instance "Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks" (1964). I am particularly fond of his more avant-garde paintings like "Impractical Marshmallow-Toasting Device", a piece that I would not have been able to identify as a Geisel if not for the telltale handwritten inscription.

There is no doubt that Dr. Seuss is for adults as well as children (I also recommend checking out his World War Two political cartoons), and I am delighted to finally have this book (with introduction by the wonderful and whimsical Maurice Sendak) available to see what Ted Geisel did in his spare time. I recommend this book highly.