Biography- The Boy on Fairfield Street

Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SUESS. Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Decorative illustrations by Dr. Suess. New York, Random House. ISBN 139780375855504

The Boy On Fairfield Street, is an inspiring story of Ted Geisel’s childhood days in the Springfield neighborhood where he grew up. Kathleen Krull takes the reader through the good times and the bad times of his life. Ted Geisel never gives up even though he never felt he fit in at home, school or in the work force. “Ted did begin noticing ways he really didn’t fit in around Springfield.” “Nor did Ted always fit in at home.” He was the boy who created fantasy and “whose imagination [was] too wild for adults.” Family dinners, stories about animals at the zoo and his first stuffed animal “Theophrastus” stayed with the boy that broke “the rules” for a lifetime. It was his “love for reading , animals, and justice” that kept Ted Geisel the boy who grew up on Fairfield Street moving forward to becoming an author and illustrator known all over the world. It is not only a story about a boy that found his place in the world, but a story about never giving up your dreams. Ted was a child who had lived through hard times, got very little encouragement yet grew up to have such an impact in the literary world. “His books sold hundreds of millions of copies- bestselling children’s books ever.” “He often credited life on Fairfield Street for all he had accomplished.” The story has characters, setting and problems with real life solutions. Each page paints a picture of Ted’s life on Fairfield Street through the words and the beautiful paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Every other page includes wonderful illustrations that so many of us remember from the Dr. Seuss books. The synopsis at the end of the book completes the story of Ted Geisel’s life and gives the reader the “behind-the –scenes” information about many of his books. It was a $50.00 bet from his publisher that gave us Green Eggs and Ham.
Reviews & Awards
Book Links (A.L.A.) 01/01/07
Horn Book (January/February, 2004) “Fans are sure to enjoy meeting the irrepressible man behind the ever-popular books.”


Library Media Connection (October 2004) - “This book would be a wonderful addition to a library program celebrating the "Seussentennial" and beyond.”
School Library Journal (January 1, 2004)- “This picture-book biography is a winner.”

As I read the biography of Dr. Seuss and the hardships he endured being a German American and being bullied as well as hearing from teachers that he “ would never be successful at art” I knew that this would be a book to teach perseverance and believing in yourself. Dr. Seuss is an author that my children know. Most children know at least one Dr. Seuss book and he becomes my hook for teaching social skills and working through the hard times that all people experience.
As I read the title it reminded me of Tomie Depaolo’s 26 Fairmont Place. Each of these books depicts their home as a significant place. In my first grade class I am going to do a compare and contrast lesson using the two books. I am hoping that this will lead to a writing experience using their address as a starting point to write a memoir. I hope to encourage the children to use more emotion in their writing. It is ok to write about the sad times as well as the happy times as they are a part of life.