For Dr. Seuss, Nonsensical Rhymes Came with a Reason

Most fans of Dr. Seuss can predict how a line from one of his books will end the moment they hear the beginning. For instance, many will fondly remember the line, "I do not like green eggs and ham," and be able to parrot what comes next: "I do not like them Sam I Am." The predictability of Dr. Seuss' lines and imaginative drawings have been catnip to young readers for decades. Now, more than half a century after "Green Eggs and Ham" (Random House, 1960) was published, Dr. Seuss is asking a new generation of readers, "What Pet Should I Get?" (Random House, 2015). His posthumously published book, which was released yesterday, July 28, shot to the top of best-seller lists this week. The new book comes 25 years after "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" (Random House, 1990), the last book he published before his death in 1991. The eagerness of readers to return to the "Seussian" world of fantastical creatures and nonsensical rhymes doesn't surprise scholars of Dr. Seuss. In fact, they credit the author's own difficult childhood with helping him craft stories that resonate with children in words they can't stop reading.


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