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Dr: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel
Before Yertle, before the Cat in the Hat, before Little Cindy-Lou Who (but after Mulberry Street), Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) made his living as a political cartoonist for New York newspaper PM. Seuss drew over 400 cartoons in just under two years for the paper, reflecting the daily's New Deal liberal slant. Starting in early 1941, when PM advocated American involvement in World War II, Seuss savaged the fascists with cunning caricatures. He also turned his pen against America's internal enemies--isolationists, hoarders, complainers, anti-Semites, and anti-black racists--and urged Americans to work together to win the war. The cartoons are often funny, peopled with bowler-hatted "everymen" and what author Art Spiegelman calls "Seussian fauna" in his preface. They are also often very disturbing--Seuss draws brutally racist images of the Japanese and even attacks Japanese Americans on numerous occasions. Perhaps most disturbing is the realization that Seuss was just reflecting the wartime zeitgeist. Dr. Seuss Goes to War marks the first time most of these illustrations have appeared in print since they were first published. Richard H. Minear's introduction and explanatory chapters contextualize the 200 editorial cartoons (some of whose nuances might otherwise be lost on the modern reader). Those who grew up on Seuss will enjoy early glimpses of his later work; history buffs will enjoy this new--if playful and contorted--angle on World War II. --Sunny Delaney
273 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
August 15, 2017
I had not read Dr. Seuss as a child, but his name was familiar as a sort of institution in the USA. However, I primarily thought of him as a writer of children's books, with his own quirky style of writing and illustration, until I came across this book. However, it stayed unread in my computer until I came across the following cartoon in social media:
It was terrifically relevant in today's situation, so I thought it was time I read the book.
Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) contributed editorial cartoons to the left-wing magazine PM from January 1941 to January 1943. His cartoons mostly criticised Hitler and Japan (Mussolini too, to a lesser extent), American isolationism in the face of Hitler's global aggression, racism and antisemitism.
Seuss's depiction of Hitler, and his enormous ego, is masterful. The Fuehrer is always shown with eyes closed in a superior fashion, and his nonexistent mouth indicates it to be tightly closed in a line, in supposed contempt of all humanity. His overweening ego is captured in a terrific illustration which also serves as the cover of this volume: Hitler the sculptor crafting the statue of Hitler the conqueror.
In contrast, Mussolini was diminished to the level of a street thug, and a battered one at that:
It is interesting to see that Stalin, who was initially looked on with suspicion and depicted as a dubious character, changes his looks once he joins the allied cause.
The first one is when the Soviet Union had a pact with both Germany and Japan: the second is after Hitler’s invasion of Russia. Stalin’s smile has become more open and less sinister!
However, he was racist to a very great extent as far as Japan was concerned: all Japanese are shown with the same face - slant eyes, round spectacles, scraggly moustache and idiotic leer. The most objectionable thing is, however, his presentation of Japanese Americans as some sort of fifth column, as shown in the cartoon below:
Even more objectionable was his depiction of all Japanese as murderers. The obnoxious cartoon below (which earned him a lot of flak) satirises John Haynes Holmes, a pacifist pastor, for saying that “the unhappy people of Japan are our brothers”:
When PM got a barrage of letters objecting to this travesty, Dr. Seuss went all out to defend his attitude instead of apologising. This is why this book came down to 3 stars for me: all his objection to racism and antisemitism, I feel, was just “political correctness” – as far as the Asian was concerned, his true nature shone forth. I wonder how he would have depicted the Arab had he been drawing today!
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One last point: I absolutely love Seuss’s animals, especially the cat, who slink about on the borders of his cartoons. The man could draw!
It was terrifically relevant in today's situation, so I thought it was time I read the book.
Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) contributed editorial cartoons to the left-wing magazine PM from January 1941 to January 1943. His cartoons mostly criticised Hitler and Japan (Mussolini too, to a lesser extent), American isolationism in the face of Hitler's global aggression, racism and antisemitism.
Seuss's depiction of Hitler, and his enormous ego, is masterful. The Fuehrer is always shown with eyes closed in a superior fashion, and his nonexistent mouth indicates it to be tightly closed in a line, in supposed contempt of all humanity. His overweening ego is captured in a terrific illustration which also serves as the cover of this volume: Hitler the sculptor crafting the statue of Hitler the conqueror.
In contrast, Mussolini was diminished to the level of a street thug, and a battered one at that:
It is interesting to see that Stalin, who was initially looked on with suspicion and depicted as a dubious character, changes his looks once he joins the allied cause.
The first one is when the Soviet Union had a pact with both Germany and Japan: the second is after Hitler’s invasion of Russia. Stalin’s smile has become more open and less sinister!
However, he was racist to a very great extent as far as Japan was concerned: all Japanese are shown with the same face - slant eyes, round spectacles, scraggly moustache and idiotic leer. The most objectionable thing is, however, his presentation of Japanese Americans as some sort of fifth column, as shown in the cartoon below:
Even more objectionable was his depiction of all Japanese as murderers. The obnoxious cartoon below (which earned him a lot of flak) satirises John Haynes Holmes, a pacifist pastor, for saying that “the unhappy people of Japan are our brothers”:
When PM got a barrage of letters objecting to this travesty, Dr. Seuss went all out to defend his attitude instead of apologising. This is why this book came down to 3 stars for me: all his objection to racism and antisemitism, I feel, was just “political correctness” – as far as the Asian was concerned, his true nature shone forth. I wonder how he would have depicted the Arab had he been drawing today!
------------------------------------
One last point: I absolutely love Seuss’s animals, especially the cat, who slink about on the borders of his cartoons. The man could draw!
December 20, 2025
WARNING: you will see Dr. Seuss in a very different context - time and cultural attitudes have to be taken into consideration. For those who would like to know more about how the good doctor evolved his artistic style this will be a very interesting read. Some of the cartoons in here are truly heartbreaking - war will always have too much power over us.
February 17, 2009
I found this book in the library, and was instantly drawn in by it. Dr. Seuss as polemicist! It contains a large number of the one-panel editorial cartoons created by Geisel from 1941-1943 for the publication PM, which was a liberal, pro-labor, pro-FDR (and ultimately pro-war and anti-fascist) news magazine being published in New York City at the time.
Seuss skewers Mussolini as weak and ineffective, Hitler as strangely pompous and above-it-all, the French collaborator Laval as beneath contempt. He has it out for isolationists, especially Lindbergh, and people who aren't cooperating with air raid, scrap metal, and other war efforts. He blasts anti-Semites and other racists, yet surprisingly (though this seems to have been very very common in the US in the fifties) has a major blind spot for the Japanese. His Japanese characters are interchangeable, silly, malicious, scheming, and bloodthirsty. It was interesting to find one cartoon which lampooned the notion of the brotherhood of men with a murderous "Japan". This one was so far out it drew the ire of PM's readers. One imagines that the later author of "The Sneetches" eventually widened his circle of humanity to include even "the Japs".
Minear does a workman-like job of describing the historical context of the characters in the cartoons and the times, providing a small description of each. One frustration is that although the collection has been edited (I get the feeling about half of the cartoons made it in), Minear describes many of the cartoons not included. This only makes you want to see those, as well.
A final note: some of the cartoons are wildly inventive, incredibly detailed masterpieces, brimming with creativity and pushing the editorial cartoon as an artform. The book is worth reading for these alone.
Seuss skewers Mussolini as weak and ineffective, Hitler as strangely pompous and above-it-all, the French collaborator Laval as beneath contempt. He has it out for isolationists, especially Lindbergh, and people who aren't cooperating with air raid, scrap metal, and other war efforts. He blasts anti-Semites and other racists, yet surprisingly (though this seems to have been very very common in the US in the fifties) has a major blind spot for the Japanese. His Japanese characters are interchangeable, silly, malicious, scheming, and bloodthirsty. It was interesting to find one cartoon which lampooned the notion of the brotherhood of men with a murderous "Japan". This one was so far out it drew the ire of PM's readers. One imagines that the later author of "The Sneetches" eventually widened his circle of humanity to include even "the Japs".
Minear does a workman-like job of describing the historical context of the characters in the cartoons and the times, providing a small description of each. One frustration is that although the collection has been edited (I get the feeling about half of the cartoons made it in), Minear describes many of the cartoons not included. This only makes you want to see those, as well.
A final note: some of the cartoons are wildly inventive, incredibly detailed masterpieces, brimming with creativity and pushing the editorial cartoon as an artform. The book is worth reading for these alone.
January 5, 2021
So, the cartoons themselves are at least 4-star (not quite 5-star, as it is the Doctor's early works and single-panels), and the fact that someone organized it into a decent book is a 4-star accomplishment. But I sometimes the scholarship portion of the book rambled or left gaps, so I was just a little cold on the text.
Pair it with this: https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/index.html for an enriched experience.
Pair it with this: https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/index.html for an enriched experience.
April 9, 2011
I have a DVD set from Disney that is called "On the Front Lines." It's disc after disc of propganda cartoons the animation studio churned out in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of American involvement in WWII. In a small way, this book remindes me of that set. The exception is that Seuss made most of the cartoons BEFORE Pearl Harbor. His warnings of Japanese attack in the Summer of 41 are quite eerie. I would have liked to see cartoons from the fall of Italy up to VE and VJ Day, however, Seuss was conscripted in 1943. He had an almost uncanny understanding that Total Victory was needed to defeat the Axis and that Total Victory required Total War on the part of America and her inhabitants. One thing I noted was that he, along with the rest of America and the American media, geniunely seemed to have no idea the true horrors of Hitler's reich... the Holocaust. Therefore, as strange as it sounds, some of the cartoons have an almost innocent cast to them; the atrocities committed were simply unknown and unimaginable. Seuss is a master at disguising social commentary in sweet rhyming rhythm meant for the ears and brains of babes but read by the adults... The Lorax being one of his most famous. (I also personally recommend The Sneetches and The Butter Battle Book.) This was a nice look at what he could do with an urgent cause and the ears and brains of grown-ups. Highly recommended.
May 4, 2021
Rather interesting read. Honestly, not a big fan of dr Seuss, but I do recognize his influence on popular culture.
The cartoons in this anthology reveal yet another side of the man, and his thinking. On one side, he is rather enlightened, against segregation, pro-enviroment, on the other side, his racism towards Japan is shocking (even before Pearl Harbor). On the other hand, in that era, it was a rather common occurance, aided of course by propaganda, sometimes disguised... (The country song 'smoke on the water' comes to mind...))
All in all, no matter if you like dr. Seuss or not, this book gives an enlightening insight into the American mind of the times.
The cartoons in this anthology reveal yet another side of the man, and his thinking. On one side, he is rather enlightened, against segregation, pro-enviroment, on the other side, his racism towards Japan is shocking (even before Pearl Harbor). On the other hand, in that era, it was a rather common occurance, aided of course by propaganda, sometimes disguised... (The country song 'smoke on the water' comes to mind...))
All in all, no matter if you like dr. Seuss or not, this book gives an enlightening insight into the American mind of the times.
August 27, 2019
If you loved Dr. Seuss as a kid, then you might love this book then
March 25, 2011
Interesting concept: A renowned children illustrator as an editorial cartoonist for a left leaning paper in the early days WWII. But of course, he wasn't a children illustrator, just yet, but his style was firmly established.
This book is a delight to read, and reread. Loaded with detailed footnotesit will open up a view of the day to day life of the US (New York centric view)from early 1941 through 1943, when Seuss join the Army. Seuss lampoons Hitler, Mussolini, Togo, isolationists. (Esp. Lindbergh, Wheeler, Patterson, McCormick and American Firsters movement)wartime slackers.
If you are a Dr. Seuss fan, a history Buff or both, check it out. Nothing else you may have a better undersatnding of Yertle the Turtle.
This book is a delight to read, and reread. Loaded with detailed footnotesit will open up a view of the day to day life of the US (New York centric view)from early 1941 through 1943, when Seuss join the Army. Seuss lampoons Hitler, Mussolini, Togo, isolationists. (Esp. Lindbergh, Wheeler, Patterson, McCormick and American Firsters movement)wartime slackers.
If you are a Dr. Seuss fan, a history Buff or both, check it out. Nothing else you may have a better undersatnding of Yertle the Turtle.
October 18, 2018
Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? He’s a cultural touchstone. And yet, most folks don’t know anything about his life, career or personal views outside of him being a beloved children’s book author. In this book, Minear collects editorial cartoons created by Dr. Seuss when he drew for the left-wing NY daily PM from 1941-1943. At the time, the world was bracing itself for war, and we see Dr. Seuss’s editorial wit and perspective on WWII issues: US isolationism, Us anti-semitism and racism, Hitler, Russia’s involvement, Mussolini, etc. Minear does more than present the cartoons, however; he lays out the historical context for each and explains them. He does a great job of tying common threads across these disparate cartoons. We get to see the kind of sharp, caustic wit and insight found in the best editorial cartoons. And all of that is done through the familiar Seuss art styling. The unfortunate part of the book was seeing the racist caricatures of Japanese people in many of Seuss’s works (i.e. buck teeth, slanted eyes, etc.). Also, a critique of the Kindle edition: the cartoons followed the commentary; it would have been far more effective for each cartoon to be embedded within the commentary. It’s a fascinating look at a very adult side of Dr. Seuss.
March 3, 2011
Other than the oddly large number of cartoons referred to but not shown it was an interesting read.
January 30, 2015
Enjoyed reading background of Dr. Seuss in World War two.
Entertaining.
Thought provoking about Propaganda and looking at one's enemies.
Entertaining.
Thought provoking about Propaganda and looking at one's enemies.
October 28, 2018
"For decades, readers throughout the world have enjoyed the marvelous stories and illustrations of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. But few know Geisel's work as a political cartoonish during World Wart II for the New York daily newspaper PM. In these marvelously trenchant cartoons, Geisel captured the Zeitgeist -- especially the attitudes of the New Deal Liberals who read PM -- with a wonderful Seussian flair. Dr. Seuss Goes to War features handsome, large-format reproductions of more than two hundred of Geisel's cartoons from this time.
"The cartoons savage Hitler, Japan, Mussolini, and 'isolationist' leaders such as Charles Lindbergh; exhort readers to give full support to the war effort, put up with shortages, buy U.S. savings bonds, and help control inflation. They are sharply critical of anti-Semitism and anti-black racism -- and, shockingly, undeniably racist in their portrayal of Japanese Americans. An introduction and commentary by Richard H. Minear, an historian of the era and author of Victgor's Justice, place them in context and provide insight i8nto the national climate they reflect.
"Lovers of Dr. Seuss will take renewed delight in his whimsical and imaginative illustrations. Those for whom World War II is an abiding passion will find a brand-new look at the war and American involvement. And those concerned with American attitude -- particularly in the press -- will find that Dr. Suess's cartoons of 1941 and 1942 bring back to life the mood and issues of the day."
~~front flap
I'm sure this is an accurate portrayal of the mind set of the times. The problem is times have changed since then -- lots of water under the bridge, making it difficult for me to enjoy the cartoons or even be able to appreciate them as representative. They seemed crude to me, and lurking in the background of my mind was the thought that they wouldn't have convinced me if I'd be alive at that time.
If you're a reader with an abiding passion for WWII, you'l probably like this book. I'm not, and so I didn't particularly.
"The cartoons savage Hitler, Japan, Mussolini, and 'isolationist' leaders such as Charles Lindbergh; exhort readers to give full support to the war effort, put up with shortages, buy U.S. savings bonds, and help control inflation. They are sharply critical of anti-Semitism and anti-black racism -- and, shockingly, undeniably racist in their portrayal of Japanese Americans. An introduction and commentary by Richard H. Minear, an historian of the era and author of Victgor's Justice, place them in context and provide insight i8nto the national climate they reflect.
"Lovers of Dr. Seuss will take renewed delight in his whimsical and imaginative illustrations. Those for whom World War II is an abiding passion will find a brand-new look at the war and American involvement. And those concerned with American attitude -- particularly in the press -- will find that Dr. Suess's cartoons of 1941 and 1942 bring back to life the mood and issues of the day."
~~front flap
I'm sure this is an accurate portrayal of the mind set of the times. The problem is times have changed since then -- lots of water under the bridge, making it difficult for me to enjoy the cartoons or even be able to appreciate them as representative. They seemed crude to me, and lurking in the background of my mind was the thought that they wouldn't have convinced me if I'd be alive at that time.
If you're a reader with an abiding passion for WWII, you'l probably like this book. I'm not, and so I didn't particularly.
September 1, 2024
Minear offers a compelling glimpse into a lesser-known facet of the beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. Minear's meticulous research uncovers Theodor Geisel's wartime contributions, revealing a body of work that is as potent in its political commentary as it is visually engaging. The book showcases Geisel's editorial cartoons, created during his tenure at the left-leaning New York newspaper PM from 1941 to 1943. These cartoons are a far cry from the whimsical worlds of Whoville and the Cat in the Hat. Instead, they tackle the grim realities of World War II with a blend of sharp wit and moral conviction. Through his distinctive artistic style, Geisel addresses critical issues of the era, from the menace of fascism to the follies of isolationism and the plight of refugees. Minear’s analysis is both insightful and accessible, providing historical context that enriches the reader's understanding of each cartoon. He delves into Geisel's staunch anti-fascist stance and his criticism of figures like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, while also highlighting Geisel's support for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's war efforts. However, not all of Geisel’s work is beyond reproach; some cartoons reflect the racial prejudices of the time, particularly in their portrayal of Japanese and Japanese Americans. Minear does not shy away from these aspects, instead presenting them as part of a complex historical narrative. The book is visually striking, with over 200 cartoons reproduced in their original form. This visual element, combined with Minear’s erudite commentary, allows readers to appreciate both the artistic and the historical significance of Geisel's work. “Dr. Seuss Goes to War" is an intriguing exploration of how a cherished children's author used his talents to engage with and influence the socio-political landscape of his time. Minear’s book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the intersection of art, politics, and history.
March 6, 2020
Dr. Seuss’s career as a political cartoonist during the early 1940’s was news to me ... he worked for the left-leaning PM magazine ... his gentle, whimsical approach to Hitler and the Axis belies his genuine, populist roots ... the seeds for many of his beloved drawings of the 1950’s and 60’s are evident in these amusing pages ...
September 19, 2020
Minear provides detailed historical context through which to appreciate (or occasionally question) Theodor Geisel’s distinctive, beguilingly Seuss-esque wartime cartoons. Each drawing is presented on its own page but regrettably this is not a complete record. Many more are referenced but not included.
December 17, 2018
Learn the source material for Yertle the Turtle and Horton Hears a Who.
Seuss v. Nazis -- what's not to love.
Seuss v. Nazis -- what's not to love.
November 28, 2009
In the midst of World War II, an American reading through the editorial section of the PM paper might have seen the following:
"I believe in love, brotherhood and a cooing white pigeon on every man's roof. I even think it's nice to have pacifists and strawberry festivals... in between wars. [...:] If we want to win, we've got to kill Japs, whether it depresses [prominent Protestant pacifist minister:] John Haynes Holmes or not. We can get palsy-walsy afterward with those that are left."
That was one of the most verbalized sentiments of the day, especially shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The note would hardly even raise an eyebrow today, in retrospect, if it wasn't for one detail:
The letter was penned, and signed, by one "Dr. Seuss."
In Dr. Seuss Goes to War, two hundred or so editorial cartoons inked by Dr. Seuss are reprinted between one set of covers. Drawn between the years 1941 and (in two cases) 1943, they represent an era when America was split by war, and when Dr. Seuss was just an editorial cartoonist for a left-leaning tabloid-esque newspaper, PM. The Cat in the Hat didn't exist back then - at least not outside Seuss' own imagination. Theodore "Seuss" Geisel used the pen-name "Dr. Seuss" in an attempt to keep his own name from being recognized by authorities (for a minor run-in regarding alcohol and a college campus). Though he did retain the moniker for his subsequent children's book releases, only a vague shadow of the divisive elements remained.
Yertle the Turtle, for example, appears to have been based directly on the Hitler of his editorial cartoons. Horton and the folks from Who-Ville look to be, perhaps, America and the Japanese. And The Sneetches and The Lorax also seem to have their roots stemming back from his days with the paper.
...And yet, the editorial cartoons were much sharper, much more vitriolic, than one might imagine, seeing them only after recognition of Seuss' children's fare. Though Seuss' favourite target - Adolf Hitler - is portrayed as a Chaplin "Adenoid Hinkle"-type buffoon, there are images in which even this element of humour is overshadowed by the depiction of bodies hanging from trees (individually labeled "JEW"), or of Hitler traipsing over the corpses of his own troops on his way to southwest Russia. Other minor players include Josef Stalin (here drawn as an enemy of Hitler, and therefore in a less harsh light), Benito Mussolini (a clumsy, impotent ruler who cowers from Hitler), and an indistinguishable Japanese figure who looks nothing at all like then-ruling Emporer Hirohito.
And it is in his depiction of the Japanese that Dr. Seuss' Sneetch-like brotherhood remains unseen. The Japanese people are shown in the stereotypical (read: racist) manner of the time: buck-teeth protruding from behind sneering lips, slanting eyes, a sparse moustache, and the exact same pair of eyeglasses as the rest of the Japanese population. "You can't kill Japs by shooting off your mouth!" proclaims one of Seuss' cartoons. In another, even Japanese-Americans (precluding the Japanese interment camps in America and Canada) are attacked, portrayed as a conniving bunch picking up their rations of explosives, "Waiting for the signal from home." For Dr. Seuss, war was no time for the niceties or sensitivities of an advanced society.
Archaic racial attitudes aside, perhaps the biggest detriment to Dr. Seuss Goes to War is compiler Richard H. Minear's frequent, loquacious interjections. Prior to each batch of cartoons, Minear expounds upon the political climate of the day and details any minor event all-but lost to history in an attempt to set up the scene for a Seuss editorial cartoon (for as permanent as World War II was, there were some smaller nuances - the public outcry by some against First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, for instance, for her outspoken nature in support of American efforts in the War - which have been hitherto unknown by the new generation of Americans). These insights themselves prove helpful... but what mires the text down is Minear's insistence that each and every cartoon needs a detailed description and interpretation. In the course of a dozen or so pages of prose, perhaps only a third of that information is truly relevant to the reader. The details of Seuss' drawings are self-evident and need no further pontification. Minear editorializes himself, using Seuss' cartoons as a launching pad.
Editorial cartoons of the 1940s were vastly different from those often seen today. In the 1940s, an editorial cartoon represented caricature, analogy, and opinion. These days, an editorial cartoon appears to be just a topical version of Ziggy or a single-paneled Doonesbury cartoon. Dr. Seuss was a product of his time, the likes of which will truly never be seen again.
Too bad Minear had to spoil this entertaining, historical book through his own unnecessary intervention.
"I believe in love, brotherhood and a cooing white pigeon on every man's roof. I even think it's nice to have pacifists and strawberry festivals... in between wars. [...:] If we want to win, we've got to kill Japs, whether it depresses [prominent Protestant pacifist minister:] John Haynes Holmes or not. We can get palsy-walsy afterward with those that are left."
That was one of the most verbalized sentiments of the day, especially shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The note would hardly even raise an eyebrow today, in retrospect, if it wasn't for one detail:
The letter was penned, and signed, by one "Dr. Seuss."
In Dr. Seuss Goes to War, two hundred or so editorial cartoons inked by Dr. Seuss are reprinted between one set of covers. Drawn between the years 1941 and (in two cases) 1943, they represent an era when America was split by war, and when Dr. Seuss was just an editorial cartoonist for a left-leaning tabloid-esque newspaper, PM. The Cat in the Hat didn't exist back then - at least not outside Seuss' own imagination. Theodore "Seuss" Geisel used the pen-name "Dr. Seuss" in an attempt to keep his own name from being recognized by authorities (for a minor run-in regarding alcohol and a college campus). Though he did retain the moniker for his subsequent children's book releases, only a vague shadow of the divisive elements remained.
Yertle the Turtle, for example, appears to have been based directly on the Hitler of his editorial cartoons. Horton and the folks from Who-Ville look to be, perhaps, America and the Japanese. And The Sneetches and The Lorax also seem to have their roots stemming back from his days with the paper.
...And yet, the editorial cartoons were much sharper, much more vitriolic, than one might imagine, seeing them only after recognition of Seuss' children's fare. Though Seuss' favourite target - Adolf Hitler - is portrayed as a Chaplin "Adenoid Hinkle"-type buffoon, there are images in which even this element of humour is overshadowed by the depiction of bodies hanging from trees (individually labeled "JEW"), or of Hitler traipsing over the corpses of his own troops on his way to southwest Russia. Other minor players include Josef Stalin (here drawn as an enemy of Hitler, and therefore in a less harsh light), Benito Mussolini (a clumsy, impotent ruler who cowers from Hitler), and an indistinguishable Japanese figure who looks nothing at all like then-ruling Emporer Hirohito.
And it is in his depiction of the Japanese that Dr. Seuss' Sneetch-like brotherhood remains unseen. The Japanese people are shown in the stereotypical (read: racist) manner of the time: buck-teeth protruding from behind sneering lips, slanting eyes, a sparse moustache, and the exact same pair of eyeglasses as the rest of the Japanese population. "You can't kill Japs by shooting off your mouth!" proclaims one of Seuss' cartoons. In another, even Japanese-Americans (precluding the Japanese interment camps in America and Canada) are attacked, portrayed as a conniving bunch picking up their rations of explosives, "Waiting for the signal from home." For Dr. Seuss, war was no time for the niceties or sensitivities of an advanced society.
Archaic racial attitudes aside, perhaps the biggest detriment to Dr. Seuss Goes to War is compiler Richard H. Minear's frequent, loquacious interjections. Prior to each batch of cartoons, Minear expounds upon the political climate of the day and details any minor event all-but lost to history in an attempt to set up the scene for a Seuss editorial cartoon (for as permanent as World War II was, there were some smaller nuances - the public outcry by some against First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, for instance, for her outspoken nature in support of American efforts in the War - which have been hitherto unknown by the new generation of Americans). These insights themselves prove helpful... but what mires the text down is Minear's insistence that each and every cartoon needs a detailed description and interpretation. In the course of a dozen or so pages of prose, perhaps only a third of that information is truly relevant to the reader. The details of Seuss' drawings are self-evident and need no further pontification. Minear editorializes himself, using Seuss' cartoons as a launching pad.
Editorial cartoons of the 1940s were vastly different from those often seen today. In the 1940s, an editorial cartoon represented caricature, analogy, and opinion. These days, an editorial cartoon appears to be just a topical version of Ziggy or a single-paneled Doonesbury cartoon. Dr. Seuss was a product of his time, the likes of which will truly never be seen again.
Too bad Minear had to spoil this entertaining, historical book through his own unnecessary intervention.
February 12, 2019
Wow. I found this book to be powerful and for such a wide audience - fans of Dr. Seuss or political cartoons as well as those fascinated by World War II. This is likely a great book for teachers who cover World War II to share with students for the history of studying a plethora of political cartoons - a skill students often could use extra help with.
The author does a very fine job of describing basic events of the war as they related to Dr. Seuss’s cartoons and also filling in the gaps for other events to ultimately give a decent overview of the war & provide a solid understanding of his cartoons. Readers need not be able to analyze political cartoons on their own to enjoy this book, as Richard H. Minear, the author, carefully explains nuances of every cartoon included within the pages of the book and some that are not. Already a history love, I have a new appreciation for political cartoons and their role in times of war. Dr. Seuss was a clever cartoonist, and it’s a shame more people don’t know him for that. Fans of his children’s books can easily identify his trademark art in the cartoons, though.
My only complaint is not about the book itself but the format. I read the kindle edition on my fire, which gave excellent pictures for all the cartoons with a great ability to zoom into them. However, flipping through the book while reading to view the cartoons as Minear discusses each one is troublesome at best. I resorted to studying the cartoons as I concluded reading each section of the book. I suggest anyone who is super interested in the contents for whichever reason to just splurge and buy a physical copy for ease of studying the cartoons at the appropriate times of reading. The kindle copy was good for pure enjoyment.
The author does a very fine job of describing basic events of the war as they related to Dr. Seuss’s cartoons and also filling in the gaps for other events to ultimately give a decent overview of the war & provide a solid understanding of his cartoons. Readers need not be able to analyze political cartoons on their own to enjoy this book, as Richard H. Minear, the author, carefully explains nuances of every cartoon included within the pages of the book and some that are not. Already a history love, I have a new appreciation for political cartoons and their role in times of war. Dr. Seuss was a clever cartoonist, and it’s a shame more people don’t know him for that. Fans of his children’s books can easily identify his trademark art in the cartoons, though.
My only complaint is not about the book itself but the format. I read the kindle edition on my fire, which gave excellent pictures for all the cartoons with a great ability to zoom into them. However, flipping through the book while reading to view the cartoons as Minear discusses each one is troublesome at best. I resorted to studying the cartoons as I concluded reading each section of the book. I suggest anyone who is super interested in the contents for whichever reason to just splurge and buy a physical copy for ease of studying the cartoons at the appropriate times of reading. The kindle copy was good for pure enjoyment.
April 3, 2018
Dr. Suess drew political cartoons in New York in the early 1940's. There are so many impressive drawings of Hitler, Uncle Sam, Lindbergh... There is also a healthy dose of anti-isolationist drawings within the collection. The drawings are impressive for many reasons: the era of pre and early WWII, the lampooning of world leaders, and the drawings themselves. One poignant drawing features Hitler's face on Mount Rushmore with the Nazi flag over the American flag in the background. There are plenty of domestic targets as well. Charles Lindberg is pillored for coddling up to the Nazi's, there are numerous unflatering depictions of Mr. Lindberg.
There are long stretches of text presenting interesting information about the author, the work, and the backstory. Biographical information about the author sets the scene for the reader and even includes the status of Geisel's collection. The descriptions of the work can deepen the level of intensity with which you inspect the drawing. There are plenty of subtle, captivating nuances woven into the works; they are easy to overlook. However, too much time is spent telling you about drawings not in the collection. Whether the reader is being set up for a series or simply teased, including vivid details for drawings that are not featured is confusing in the least.
There are long stretches of text presenting interesting information about the author, the work, and the backstory. Biographical information about the author sets the scene for the reader and even includes the status of Geisel's collection. The descriptions of the work can deepen the level of intensity with which you inspect the drawing. There are plenty of subtle, captivating nuances woven into the works; they are easy to overlook. However, too much time is spent telling you about drawings not in the collection. Whether the reader is being set up for a series or simply teased, including vivid details for drawings that are not featured is confusing in the least.
March 13, 2009
Interesting. The offensive stereotypes depicted shows the other side of a childhood favorite author. It reflects what was acceptable in America during World War II and to some extent what became acceptable during subsequent conflicts, including Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Today the internet allows faster and wider dissemination of such material than print media.
July 7, 2012
The editorial cartoons are fascinating.
Dr. Seuss's work on the daily newspaper PM from 1941 to 1943. Definitely some uncomfortable stuff like implications that Japanese Americans could be traitors.
Can't really get going on the commentary.
This is really all about the cartoons.
Dr. Seuss's work on the daily newspaper PM from 1941 to 1943. Definitely some uncomfortable stuff like implications that Japanese Americans could be traitors.
Can't really get going on the commentary.
This is really all about the cartoons.
June 18, 2013
*2.6 Stars*
Scorecard: (Out of 10)
* Quality of Writing - 5
* Pace - 5
* Plot development - 4
* Characters - 8
* Enjoyability - 6
* Insightfulness - 3
* Ease of Reading - 2
* Photos/Illustrations - 10
Final Score: 43/80 = 54%
*The Gush*
I wanted to like this book. I mean, I REALLY wanted to like this book. Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite writers/illustrators of all times, and WWII – what wasn’t there not to love?
Read on.
The illustrations themselves are amazing. Surreal but amazing. You will instantly recognize them if you’ve read even one Dr. Seuss book, and many images conjure up familiar stories like Horton, Yertle, and more. And as political/editorial cartoons, they are quite good. I can’t help but compare them to many today that are simple drawings…and you often don’t have a clue what their creator is trying to say. Dr. Seuss’ are quite complex drawings with a simple message that all but hits you over the head. You often barely need the handful of words that accompany the picture, even today with our limited understanding of the world they were created in. They are not always politically correct by today’s standard but surprisingly rarely; most often this corresponds to his portrayal of the Japanese. Compared to some of his contemporaries however, they are not as harsh as they could be. Much I think can be traced to the fact that he had traveled in Europe but like many other Americans of the time, he’d had little contact with the Japanese people. But that is just what I think from reading between the lines of this book.
While some might find aspects of Dr. Seuss the political cartoonist at odds with how they saw him as a children’s illustrator, I found him interesting and far less surprising then many other childhood ‘heroes’ I’ve learned about as I’ve grown older.
The illustrations also give the reader an insight into America at the beginning of the war that no textbook can match and few other works can come close to replicating. Several discuss the hardships faced on the home front while others deal with people on both sides of the issue most people today don’t really know about. One of the best things the author does is make sure the dates corresponding to the cartoons are there as well as making sure the reader understands why Dr. Seuss is highlighting these particular people.
*The Rant*
Like I said, I wanted to like this book; I had even planned on buying this book before reading it (which happens rarely). However, I had certain expectations concerning the book based on what I had read about it and simply its subject. I came away feeling as if the book lived up to none of these expectations, ones I should point out that were very basic and not extraordinary.
My first expectation was that this book would have some interpretation of the cartoons. Political cartoons, particularly historical ones beg for this and while I was hoping the author would not go into great detail (I’m not well read on artistic interpretation and was afraid it would be over my head) there turned out to be virtually none at all. This can easily be explained by the fact that the author is a historian. He did draw attention to elements that any reader, even children, would notice such as an elephant in a tree (Horton Hatches an Egg) and turtles standing on each other’s backs making a V (Yertle the Turtle), etc. Any reader of Seuss would notice this. His comments on the Axis leaders were better, but still very self-evident.
My second expectation was that the text would work to establish the works within two contexts: Seuss’ life and America/World during World War II. The author did an adequate job of giving a brief Seuss bio as well as tying some of it to his work. He also made sure the reader understood the unique paper his cartoons appeared in. It was…adequate but basically a recitation of facts he discovered and got from other places. The rest of the book was connecting the individual cartoons to what was going on at the time and what they were specifically addressing while also breaking the cartoons into sections based on who is talked about, when they were done, and what they addressed. Again this was done…adequately but basically boiled down to another recitation of facts. This was necessary but could have been handled about a dozen ways better than what it ended up being. I was also surprised by how little interpretation and distillation there was in his writing. That author is a professor of history at a prestigious university and he doesn’t do one of the basics of historical writing? Even when he does, it’s uneven and he doesn’t carry it through beyond a point or two. I simply expect more from historical work.
My third expectation was that this book would be the ultimate printed collection of a section of Dr. Seuss’ work that few knew about and no one had previous done any study on. Instead, there were enumerable instances where the author talked about cartoons that…were…not…included.
Why?
Why were they not included, especially if you were going to talk about them? It makes no sense. The presentation of the ones chosen was good in that each cartoon got a full page, enabling the reader to truly appreciate the work that went into each work of art. However, the discussions of the cartoons were placed in text at the beginning of each chapter with the cartoons packaged together after the text. In some ways, this works but it made it impossible to read while looking at the cartoon he was discussing. I tried working through this book two ways: the first by reading the text including the next cartoon and then flipping forward to study the image with the author’s discussion in mind and the second by looking at a four + images and then reading the text including all of those in one swoop. The first way worked better and lead to better understanding but took easily twice as long if not more. The second was faster, but I didn’t feel I gained as much from this method. The setup was cumbersome. I’m not completely sure how they could have changed it except perhaps to have the cartoons on one page with the corresponding text on the facing one while keeping the sections in order to keep the continuity. It would still be cumbersome but in a different way.
So, in short, all my expectations were met by mediocrity. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t in anyway exceptional which is the saddest part of the entire enterprise for me. Dr. Seuss, to me, stands for exceptional illustrations and quality storytelling; creating a book about him that reaching at best for mediocrity is nearly a slap in the face. The only thing that saves this is the how well the illustrations are rendered.
*Conclusion*
I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t feel this book lives up to what one would and should expect from the work. Having a physical copy of most of Dr. Seuss’ editorial cartoons is nice but I feel the rest of the book does not make this book worth it. If all you expect is mediocrity, then perhaps this book is for you but I expect a bit more, especially with Dr. Seuss’ name connected to it. Still, if you are a diehard Seuss fan, this is an interesting read through if only to see how he envisioned Hitler and to learn that Seuss is supposed to rhyme with Royce! Huh, learn something new every day.
P.S. If you are interested in looking at the cartoons, there seems to be a website here. Caution: these are not for children. Some of them are a bit disturbing. Nothing horrible, just not Cat in the Hat level.
Scorecard: (Out of 10)
* Quality of Writing - 5
* Pace - 5
* Plot development - 4
* Characters - 8
* Enjoyability - 6
* Insightfulness - 3
* Ease of Reading - 2
* Photos/Illustrations - 10
Final Score: 43/80 = 54%
*The Gush*
I wanted to like this book. I mean, I REALLY wanted to like this book. Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite writers/illustrators of all times, and WWII – what wasn’t there not to love?
Read on.
The illustrations themselves are amazing. Surreal but amazing. You will instantly recognize them if you’ve read even one Dr. Seuss book, and many images conjure up familiar stories like Horton, Yertle, and more. And as political/editorial cartoons, they are quite good. I can’t help but compare them to many today that are simple drawings…and you often don’t have a clue what their creator is trying to say. Dr. Seuss’ are quite complex drawings with a simple message that all but hits you over the head. You often barely need the handful of words that accompany the picture, even today with our limited understanding of the world they were created in. They are not always politically correct by today’s standard but surprisingly rarely; most often this corresponds to his portrayal of the Japanese. Compared to some of his contemporaries however, they are not as harsh as they could be. Much I think can be traced to the fact that he had traveled in Europe but like many other Americans of the time, he’d had little contact with the Japanese people. But that is just what I think from reading between the lines of this book.
While some might find aspects of Dr. Seuss the political cartoonist at odds with how they saw him as a children’s illustrator, I found him interesting and far less surprising then many other childhood ‘heroes’ I’ve learned about as I’ve grown older.
The illustrations also give the reader an insight into America at the beginning of the war that no textbook can match and few other works can come close to replicating. Several discuss the hardships faced on the home front while others deal with people on both sides of the issue most people today don’t really know about. One of the best things the author does is make sure the dates corresponding to the cartoons are there as well as making sure the reader understands why Dr. Seuss is highlighting these particular people.
*The Rant*
Like I said, I wanted to like this book; I had even planned on buying this book before reading it (which happens rarely). However, I had certain expectations concerning the book based on what I had read about it and simply its subject. I came away feeling as if the book lived up to none of these expectations, ones I should point out that were very basic and not extraordinary.
My first expectation was that this book would have some interpretation of the cartoons. Political cartoons, particularly historical ones beg for this and while I was hoping the author would not go into great detail (I’m not well read on artistic interpretation and was afraid it would be over my head) there turned out to be virtually none at all. This can easily be explained by the fact that the author is a historian. He did draw attention to elements that any reader, even children, would notice such as an elephant in a tree (Horton Hatches an Egg) and turtles standing on each other’s backs making a V (Yertle the Turtle), etc. Any reader of Seuss would notice this. His comments on the Axis leaders were better, but still very self-evident.
My second expectation was that the text would work to establish the works within two contexts: Seuss’ life and America/World during World War II. The author did an adequate job of giving a brief Seuss bio as well as tying some of it to his work. He also made sure the reader understood the unique paper his cartoons appeared in. It was…adequate but basically a recitation of facts he discovered and got from other places. The rest of the book was connecting the individual cartoons to what was going on at the time and what they were specifically addressing while also breaking the cartoons into sections based on who is talked about, when they were done, and what they addressed. Again this was done…adequately but basically boiled down to another recitation of facts. This was necessary but could have been handled about a dozen ways better than what it ended up being. I was also surprised by how little interpretation and distillation there was in his writing. That author is a professor of history at a prestigious university and he doesn’t do one of the basics of historical writing? Even when he does, it’s uneven and he doesn’t carry it through beyond a point or two. I simply expect more from historical work.
My third expectation was that this book would be the ultimate printed collection of a section of Dr. Seuss’ work that few knew about and no one had previous done any study on. Instead, there were enumerable instances where the author talked about cartoons that…were…not…included.
Why?
Why were they not included, especially if you were going to talk about them? It makes no sense. The presentation of the ones chosen was good in that each cartoon got a full page, enabling the reader to truly appreciate the work that went into each work of art. However, the discussions of the cartoons were placed in text at the beginning of each chapter with the cartoons packaged together after the text. In some ways, this works but it made it impossible to read while looking at the cartoon he was discussing. I tried working through this book two ways: the first by reading the text including the next cartoon and then flipping forward to study the image with the author’s discussion in mind and the second by looking at a four + images and then reading the text including all of those in one swoop. The first way worked better and lead to better understanding but took easily twice as long if not more. The second was faster, but I didn’t feel I gained as much from this method. The setup was cumbersome. I’m not completely sure how they could have changed it except perhaps to have the cartoons on one page with the corresponding text on the facing one while keeping the sections in order to keep the continuity. It would still be cumbersome but in a different way.
So, in short, all my expectations were met by mediocrity. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t in anyway exceptional which is the saddest part of the entire enterprise for me. Dr. Seuss, to me, stands for exceptional illustrations and quality storytelling; creating a book about him that reaching at best for mediocrity is nearly a slap in the face. The only thing that saves this is the how well the illustrations are rendered.
*Conclusion*
I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t feel this book lives up to what one would and should expect from the work. Having a physical copy of most of Dr. Seuss’ editorial cartoons is nice but I feel the rest of the book does not make this book worth it. If all you expect is mediocrity, then perhaps this book is for you but I expect a bit more, especially with Dr. Seuss’ name connected to it. Still, if you are a diehard Seuss fan, this is an interesting read through if only to see how he envisioned Hitler and to learn that Seuss is supposed to rhyme with Royce! Huh, learn something new every day.
P.S. If you are interested in looking at the cartoons, there seems to be a website here. Caution: these are not for children. Some of them are a bit disturbing. Nothing horrible, just not Cat in the Hat level.
Read
December 22, 2025This was a very interesting read. At first, it seemed a bit odd seeing subjects of WWII depicted in the art style that would become that of the iconic children's books. The cartoons of Dr. Seuss compiled in this book are of interest to look through on their own for their creativity and often for their humor. They are also interesting in that they provide insight into the prevailing opinions and controversial topics in the US between 1941 and 1943. Though, of course, what is most intriguing is what is revealed about the politics - the good, the confusing, and the wretched - of beloved author Dr. Seuss, himself.
There is great satisfaction to be had in Dr. Seuss's take-downs of fascism, Hitler and the Nazis, racism, anti-semitism, isolationism and more. He often does so cleverly and amusingly, and there are some outstanding pieces that are still painfully relevant today. Although, the limitations of his style do occasionally result in seeming to fail to appropriately match the gravity of some topics.
From those cartoons alone, it is easy to see how the artist would come to be the Dr. Seuss who would come to instill in children valuable lessons, such as those learned from the Sneetches, however, one is horrified by Dr. Seuss's astoundingly terrible racism towards the people of Japan and Japanese-Americans. It is hard to comprehend how he could not realize his own hypocrisy, how he could find no fault in his racist beliefs, and how hard he doubled down on it.
In some ways, I now have more questions than answers about the viewpoints of Dr. Seuss, who though working for a left-leaning paper, did not seem to care strongly about matters of labor, was suspicious of Communists, was deeply racist towards Japan, and who depicted almost exclusively white men in his cartoons. Most of his cartoons, however, did focus on trying to convince others that the US should enter WWII and then later to take efforts to help when the war.
Some other notes are that I do appreciate Minear's efforts to provide context for each cartoon and the insights he brings to discussing both Seuss and his cartoons. And as far as Dr. Seuss's books go, it did interest me to see the cartoon that was the predecessor to Yertle the Turtle, as well as to learn that Yertle was Hitler, and the Whos of Horton Hears a Who were inspired by Japan.
There's certainly lots to think about and discuss from this collection and analysis of Dr. Seuss's cartoons!
There is great satisfaction to be had in Dr. Seuss's take-downs of fascism, Hitler and the Nazis, racism, anti-semitism, isolationism and more. He often does so cleverly and amusingly, and there are some outstanding pieces that are still painfully relevant today. Although, the limitations of his style do occasionally result in seeming to fail to appropriately match the gravity of some topics.
From those cartoons alone, it is easy to see how the artist would come to be the Dr. Seuss who would come to instill in children valuable lessons, such as those learned from the Sneetches, however, one is horrified by Dr. Seuss's astoundingly terrible racism towards the people of Japan and Japanese-Americans. It is hard to comprehend how he could not realize his own hypocrisy, how he could find no fault in his racist beliefs, and how hard he doubled down on it.
In some ways, I now have more questions than answers about the viewpoints of Dr. Seuss, who though working for a left-leaning paper, did not seem to care strongly about matters of labor, was suspicious of Communists, was deeply racist towards Japan, and who depicted almost exclusively white men in his cartoons. Most of his cartoons, however, did focus on trying to convince others that the US should enter WWII and then later to take efforts to help when the war.
Some other notes are that I do appreciate Minear's efforts to provide context for each cartoon and the insights he brings to discussing both Seuss and his cartoons. And as far as Dr. Seuss's books go, it did interest me to see the cartoon that was the predecessor to Yertle the Turtle, as well as to learn that Yertle was Hitler, and the Whos of Horton Hears a Who were inspired by Japan.
There's certainly lots to think about and discuss from this collection and analysis of Dr. Seuss's cartoons!
March 25, 2022
.An outstandingly hilarious , vicious , scary , sad and spooky gorgeous rocket of a book that i recommend for all fans of dr Seuss and all those interested in the second world war. Complex at times ( anti-asian racism and war time propaganda ) his anti-fascism is brillant , often truthfull , and he should be recognised as the beacon of democracy freedom and liberty that he is not censored or villified by his own politically correct family who have made money off his back like wool from a Sheep and cheaply threw him under the bus launching a massive debate on cancel culture between liberals and concervatives where oddly in his defense or to attack him this wornderfully fun and fascinating book was never presented. As a fan of dr Seuss i can tell you , this book is a dr Seuss classic and masterpiece a must read for the many dr Seuss fans , shocking and dissapointed that this masterpiece is'nt more widely read or appreciated.
Oh and the cancel culture woke mob please remember that the Obama's love dr Seuss because unlike you they and dr Seuss really were liberal and stood to the real values of the anti-fascist left not posing like moralistic hypocrites.
“This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically ‘woke’ and all that stuff You should get over that quickly
The world is messy; there are ambiguities People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids, and share certain things with you.
I do get a sense sometimes now among certain young people, and this is accelerated by social media, there is this sense sometimes of: ‘The way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people and that’s enough.
Like, if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the wrong verb , then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself, cause, ‘Man, you see how woke I was, I called you out.
That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change
If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do. " once said former président Barack Obama. And to that , and after having read this wonderfull book , i agree.
Oh and the cancel culture woke mob please remember that the Obama's love dr Seuss because unlike you they and dr Seuss really were liberal and stood to the real values of the anti-fascist left not posing like moralistic hypocrites.
“This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically ‘woke’ and all that stuff You should get over that quickly
The world is messy; there are ambiguities People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids, and share certain things with you.
I do get a sense sometimes now among certain young people, and this is accelerated by social media, there is this sense sometimes of: ‘The way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people and that’s enough.
Like, if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the wrong verb , then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself, cause, ‘Man, you see how woke I was, I called you out.
That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change
If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do. " once said former président Barack Obama. And to that , and after having read this wonderfull book , i agree.
April 30, 2020
This was not a book that had been sitting on my to-read shelf. I hadn't even known this book existed until I looked for non-fiction books available on Kindle Unlimited. I was immediately interested. Dr. Seuss is definitely what one would refer to as a "household name". You most likely grew up learning to read from such stories like "Green Eggs and Ham", "The Cat in the Hat", "Horton Hears a Who" and of course "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." Your children probably learned to read from these books, if not at home than at school. Of course we've also all seen the classic Christmas movie rendition of "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and probably the page to screen adaptions (of which their are many) of his other works.
Dr. Suess writes and illustrates lyrical and whimsical childrens books. He draws up interesting characters that catches the eye. He created words for goodness sake. He does not "go to war".
At least I didn't think so.
This book details his work from when he worked at PM magazine making drawings inspired by the political U.S climate of the time and of course the war itself.
It was interesting and informative and a little...boring. Repetitive too. It didn't take long for the book to start to drag and to start to feel like an over drawn out history lessen. I wanted so badly to like this book, but it was an effort to finish it.
Dr. Suess writes and illustrates lyrical and whimsical childrens books. He draws up interesting characters that catches the eye. He created words for goodness sake. He does not "go to war".
At least I didn't think so.
This book details his work from when he worked at PM magazine making drawings inspired by the political U.S climate of the time and of course the war itself.
It was interesting and informative and a little...boring. Repetitive too. It didn't take long for the book to start to drag and to start to feel like an over drawn out history lessen. I wanted so badly to like this book, but it was an effort to finish it.
July 6, 2020
Less Description, More Context/Analysis
I picked this up largely because I live around where Dr. Seuss grew up and lived and I wanted to know more about the period of his life that doesn't get a lot of attention, the time before his famous childrens' books. I really struggled to finish this book - it ended up taking a little over ten months, though for about half that time it just sat on my currently-reading list and I put it off because I didn't want to pick it up again - largely because so much of this book was description. Minear described every single cartoon in painstaking detail, which isn't bad in and of itself. I appreciated that for the cartoons where an image was not supplied. But Minear did this even for cartoons where the image was included, and for some reason any referenced images were at the end of the chapter not with the relevant part of the text. This emphasis on description caused a dearth of what I really wanted from this book, which was context for the cartoons. There was a little throughout the text, but a miniscule amount compared to simple descriptions of the cartoons themselves.
For collecting these images and providing some good explanation/analysis of them, I give this three stars. However, this is not a book that I would reread or one that I would recommend to anyone wasn't looking for reference material.
I picked this up largely because I live around where Dr. Seuss grew up and lived and I wanted to know more about the period of his life that doesn't get a lot of attention, the time before his famous childrens' books. I really struggled to finish this book - it ended up taking a little over ten months, though for about half that time it just sat on my currently-reading list and I put it off because I didn't want to pick it up again - largely because so much of this book was description. Minear described every single cartoon in painstaking detail, which isn't bad in and of itself. I appreciated that for the cartoons where an image was not supplied. But Minear did this even for cartoons where the image was included, and for some reason any referenced images were at the end of the chapter not with the relevant part of the text. This emphasis on description caused a dearth of what I really wanted from this book, which was context for the cartoons. There was a little throughout the text, but a miniscule amount compared to simple descriptions of the cartoons themselves.
For collecting these images and providing some good explanation/analysis of them, I give this three stars. However, this is not a book that I would reread or one that I would recommend to anyone wasn't looking for reference material.
Read
January 19, 2022A collection of the good doctor’s cartoons for the newspaper/magazine ‘PM’ during the Second World War.
The bulk of the book is taken up by the comics themselves but there is a quick bio of this period of Suess’s life (did not realise that he’d already been writing children’s books by the time he was doing these cartoons) and a bit of commentary on each of the cartoons themselves.
Much of the commentary is not entirely necessary as it just describes the content of the cartoons (which you can see with your own eyes). It’s occasionally useful for providing historical context, identifying some of the maybe lesser-known figures represented, or again looking at Dr Seuss’s approach to issues. There’s some comment in particular on his attitude towards race as he seemed to fight against anti-Semitism and racism towards black Americans but engaged in fairly blatant racism towards Japanese Americans. A blind spot presumably created/fueled by the need to demonise the 'other' during war.
On a lighter note, you can see early versions of a few of Seuss’s creations like Yertle the Turtle and Cat in the Hat, and his mix of social conscience and oddball humour is already well established.
The bulk of the book is taken up by the comics themselves but there is a quick bio of this period of Suess’s life (did not realise that he’d already been writing children’s books by the time he was doing these cartoons) and a bit of commentary on each of the cartoons themselves.
Much of the commentary is not entirely necessary as it just describes the content of the cartoons (which you can see with your own eyes). It’s occasionally useful for providing historical context, identifying some of the maybe lesser-known figures represented, or again looking at Dr Seuss’s approach to issues. There’s some comment in particular on his attitude towards race as he seemed to fight against anti-Semitism and racism towards black Americans but engaged in fairly blatant racism towards Japanese Americans. A blind spot presumably created/fueled by the need to demonise the 'other' during war.
On a lighter note, you can see early versions of a few of Seuss’s creations like Yertle the Turtle and Cat in the Hat, and his mix of social conscience and oddball humour is already well established.
August 2, 2019
"... Without whimsy, none of us can live." (Dr. Seuss.) This work was filled with wonder, in so many ways. In brief, illuminating prose, the book investigates most of the beloved author's editorial cartoons for PM magazine during the Second World War. By turns, shocking, sobering and always urgent. These are cartoons few of us would have seen, from a younger cartoonist deeply concerned with the future of free peoples of the world. The book is filled with these unique cartoons, each with a corresponding history and commentary in the text. This work reveals a facet of the war few of us have studied, and it as much about the fear and attitudes of the Allies during that time as it is about the life of a single cartoonist. A real treasure of media history buried in the side bars and back pages of WWII. Marvelous accomplishment!! Highly recommended!
January 19, 2020
Dr. Seuss Goes to War illustrates Theodor Geisel’s opinions regarding the war effort and the efforts on the home front. The cartoons are drawn with precision and stay on message while still being complex.
The book discusses and show’s Dr. Seuss’s evolution from political cartoons to children’s books author and illustrator too. Did you know that Yertle the Turtle is actually Hitler or any fascist trying to rule the world? Also, Horton Hears a Who is about post war Japan and its first democratic election.
Unfortunately, many of the cartoons have not aged in relevancy, but still warn citizenry of the dangers of inflated egos and insatiable appetites for power. They also warn us against complacency and ignorance. In one particular cartoon Dr. Seuss assures us that as long as we, en masse, can thumb our noses at a fascist (Hitler), we will be free.
The book discusses and show’s Dr. Seuss’s evolution from political cartoons to children’s books author and illustrator too. Did you know that Yertle the Turtle is actually Hitler or any fascist trying to rule the world? Also, Horton Hears a Who is about post war Japan and its first democratic election.
Unfortunately, many of the cartoons have not aged in relevancy, but still warn citizenry of the dangers of inflated egos and insatiable appetites for power. They also warn us against complacency and ignorance. In one particular cartoon Dr. Seuss assures us that as long as we, en masse, can thumb our noses at a fascist (Hitler), we will be free.
September 28, 2020
Interesting to see many of Dr. Seuss's wartime comics, however the actual text doesn't provide a whole lot of background. A majority of the text just describes what's in a specific comic in the book everything you can see for yourself. It's occasionally helpful when certain people are mentioned it will describe who they are eg. Owners of specific newspapers who Dr. Seuss was calling out. Also the text does point out Dr. Seuss's racist caricatures of Japan and Japanese people, but never really does much of an in depth analysis, only saying that it wasn't that bad compared to other cartoonists of the times.
The book is interesting, and the text is helpful if you don't know what or who is being referenced in a comic. I recommend reading the section of comics in a chapter before reading the text instead of constantly flipping back and forth.
The book is interesting, and the text is helpful if you don't know what or who is being referenced in a comic. I recommend reading the section of comics in a chapter before reading the text instead of constantly flipping back and forth.
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