Louisa May Alcott. Harper Lee. Jane Austen. In the recent (and not so recent) years, works of their art were discovered after their deaths, pass the point where dedicated readers could hope for another story to devour and enjoy, but just that happened. Found tucked away in a drawer or a closet, a treasure was found and shared with us.
Another treasure was discovered and shared with us. Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum. When we are given such a gift, I always love hearing the story about how it was discovered. The one was discovered by Ted Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss) wife, Audrey, while she was cleaning out some boxes in his studio years after his death. The full story about how Horse Museum came to be is included in the back of the book if you are so inclined (as I am) to hear the stories of finding manuscripts (or pieces of manuscipts) long after an artist leaves this world.
What I love about Horse Museum is that is so much more than just a book about horses. In the included publisher’s note, it’s stated that Dr. Seuss wasn’t really that big of a fan of horse, but art he did love. At the heart of it, art is what this book is about. And what could be better then learning about art from a master? Another deeper message of the book (because Dr. Seuss was always so good at those) is how everyone has a different view.
This is the perfect book to introduce young readers to art education and to encourage deep thinking when studying art.
More about Horse Museum
A never-before-published Dr. Seuss book about creating and looking at art!
Based on a manuscript and sketches discovered in 2013, this book is like a visit to a museum—with a horse as your guide!
Explore how different artists have seen horses, and maybe even find a new way of looking at them yourself. Discover full-color photographic art reproductions of pieces by Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock, and many others—all of which feature a horse! Young readers will find themselves delightfully transported by the engaging equines as they learn about the creative process and how to see art in new ways.
Taking inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s original sketches, acclaimed illustrator Andrew Joyner has created a look that is both subtly Seussian and wholly his own. His whimsical illustrations are combined throughout with “real-life” art. Cameo appearances by classic Dr. Seuss characters (among them the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, and Horton the Elephant) make Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum a playful picture book that is totally unique. Ideal for home or classroom use, it encourages critical thinking and makes a great gift for Seuss fans, artists, and horse lovers of all ages.
Publisher’s Notes discuss the discovery of the manuscript and sketches, Dr. Seuss’s interest in understanding modern art, the process of creating the book, and information about each of the artists and art reproductions in the book.
Purchase a copy of Horse Museum HERE.
About Dr. Seuss:
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, MA. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he’d made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase “Quick, Henry, the Flit!”
In 1936 on the way to a vaction in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship’s engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During WW II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra’s Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar’s for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel’s publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat, which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn’t write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham. Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name:
Theo Le Sieg
About Andrew:
Andrew Joyner is an internationally published illustrator and author. His popular books include The Terrible Plop, written by Ursula Dubosarsky. He lives in South Australia.
Website | Instagram | Goodreads
3 winners will receive finished copies of DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM, US Only.
Don’t miss the other great stops on the tour!
Tour Schedule:Week One:
9/2/2019- BookHounds Ya– Review
9/3/2019- 100 Pages A Day– Review
9/4/2019- Book-Keeping– Review
9/5/2019- Christen Krumm, Writer, Reader, Serious Coffee Drinker– Review
9/6/2019- Fictitious Fox– Review
Week Two:
9/9/2019- Inspired by Savannah– Review
9/10/2019- Lifestyle Of Me– Review
9/11/2019- Little Red Reads– Review
9/12/2019- two points of interest– Review
9/13/2019- Eli to the nth– Review
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