The Grinch, the Lorax, the Cat in the Hat…Dr. Seuss's eccentric creations have entertained generations of children, his clever, catchy rhymes embedding themselves in popular culture. Yet once upon a time, Dr. Seuss was Theodor "Ted" Seuss Geisel, just another kid growing up in small-town America. This in-depth biography explores the arc of the artist's life and career, painting a complex portrait of a man steeped in contradiction. The grandson of German immigrants, Ted was a target of anti-German sentiment during World War I… yet he exaggerated racial and ethnic stereotypes in his early work. His first children's book was rejected by two dozen publishers…but eventually helped spearhead a sea change in children's literature. His pen name is one of the most famous in the English language…and we're all pronouncing it incorrectly. (It's actually "Soice," but Ted didn't mind.) There is much to learn from Becoming Dr. Seuss, about American history, literature, language—and the man who left his mark on them all.