Cat Do It

Theodore did.

Theodore’s dad wanted him to be a doctor. Instead he wanted to be a cool cat and quit college to write and draw stories .. and that’s what he did .. and he did ok.

One day a book publisher friend called Theodore hat in hand … saying Theodore I know you don’t have or want your own kids but I need a book written .. specifically targeted at 6 to 7 year olds. At the time there was much national discussion about why young children couldn’t read so good. And that primers like Dick and Jane were the problem. The publisher gave Theodore a list of 360 words that he felt every 6 or 7 year old should know … and thing was that the book had to use only those words. Well Theodore gave it a shot and he came up with a story based on the first two words that he found on the list that rhymed. In all, he used 236 of the words. The book was an instant critical and commercial success, earned him a Doctorate which of course made his Dad proud and most importantly propelled his career to great heights.

Today, over 60 years later, the many books Dr. Theodore S. Geisel wrote and by the way the S stands for his middle name Seuss have sold an estimated 500 million copies … but his career really took off with the book he was most proud of … the one written to teach 6 and 7 years olds how to read using a very limited set of words … The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in The Hat is a great idea … because if you have brains in your head and feet in your shoes you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.