Beloved, American, children’s book author and illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904 -1991), better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, created imaginative characters and rhymes that encouraged reading. Initially working as a political cartoonist and advertising illustrator, Geisel accepted a contract to illustrate a children's book enabling his transition into juvenile literature. He persisted after his first book was repeatedly rejected, eventually becoming a best-selling, award-winning children’s author. His boldly inked, whimsical figures and verse transformed the predictable, pastel, moralistic world of children’s publishing. Geisel’s inspirational work has been adapted for television, theater and film.