The Art of Dr. Seuss

This weekend Judy and I drove to Thornton, Texas, for a short visit with Judy's mother, who was celebrating her 93rd birthday. We should all be in such great shape, mentally and physically at 93!

On the way home today, we stopped by our daughter's condo in Houston, and the three of us went to an exhibit of Dr. Seuss's art. (Here's a review of the show.) I figured I'd get sued if I used any of the photos we took of the artwork, but I'm sure no one will mind if I use the one of me seated outside the entrance to the show.

The exhibit was arranged chronologically, beginning with Dr. Seuss's earliest work: cartoons and covers for Judge magazine. His characteristic style was already well established. I'm sure you know that he did a couple of cartoons making fun of an insect spray called Flit. The maker's wife saw one, showed it to her husband, and Seuss was hired to do do ads for the spray. And the rest, as we love to say, is history.

My favorite Dr. Seuss book is McElligott's Pool, but I like many of the others almost as well. If I Ran the Zoo, for example. And of course that one about the Grinch. And the two about Horton. And, well, most of the rest of them, too.

My great-uncle, Everett Gee Jackson, was an artist who lived in San Diego, and he and Theodore Geisel were good friends. One of my regrets is that I never asked my uncle for an introduction.