The Various Pen Names for Theodor Geisel

The Various Pen Names for Theodor Geisel Theodor Ted Seuss Geisel wrote more than 60 childrens books and became one of the most famous childrens authors of all time. He used a few pen names, but his most popular one is a household name: Dr. Seuss. He penned a number of books under other names, such as Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone. Early Pen Names When he first began writing and illustrating childrens books, Theodor Geisel combined Dr. and Seuss, his middle name, which was also his mothers maiden name, to create the pseudonym Dr. Seuss.   He started the practice of using a pseudonym when he was in college and he was stripped of his editorial privileges for the schools humor magazine, the Jack-O-Lantern. Geisel then began publishing under aliases, such as L. Pasteur, D.G. Rossetti 25, T. Seuss, and Seuss. Once he left school and became a magazine cartoonist, he began signing his work as â€Å"Dr. Theophrastus Seuss† in 1927. Although he did not finish his  doctorate in literature at Oxford as he had hoped, he still decided to shorten his pen name to â€Å"Dr. Seuss† in 1928.   Pronunciation of Seuss In acquiring his new pseudonym, he also gained a new pronunciation for his family name. Most Americans pronounced the name Soose, rhyming with Goose. The correct pronunciation is actually Zoice,  Ã‚  rhyming with Voice. One of his friends,  Alexander Liang, created a Seuss-like poem about how people were mispronouncing Seuss: You’re wrong as the deuceAnd you shouldn’t rejoiceIf you’re calling him Seuss.He pronounces it Soice (or Zoice). Geisel embraced the Americanized  pronunciation (his mothers family was Bavarian) because of its close correlation to famed childrens author Mother Goose.  Apparently, he also  added the Doctor (abbreviated Dr.) to his pen name because his father had always wanted him to practice medicine. Later Pen Names He used Dr. Seuss for childrens books that he both wrote and illustrated. Theo LeSieg (Geisel spelled backwards) is another name he used for books he wrote. Most of the LeSieg books were illustrated by someone else. Rosetta Stone is a pseudonym he used when he worked with Philip D. Eastman. Stone is an homage to his wife, Audrey Stone. Books Written Under Different Pen Names Geisel wrote 13 books under the name  Theo LeSieg. They were: Name of the Book Year Come Over to My House 1966 Hooper Humperdinck...? Not Him! 1976 I Can Write! A Book by Me, Myself 1971 I Wish That I Had Duck Feet 1965 In a People House 1972 Maybe You Should Fly A Jet! Maybe You Should Be A Vet! 1980 Please Try to Remember the First of Octember! 1977 Ten Apples Up on Top 1961 The Eye Book 1968 The Many Mice of Mr. Brice 1973 The Tooth Book 1981 Wacky Wednesday 1974 Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? 1975 Geisel wrote one book as Rosetta Stone in 1975, Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!  It was illustrated by Michael  Frith.  Ã‚   Most Famous Books Seusss top-selling books and best-known titles include Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and Dr. Seusss ABC. Many of Seusss books have been adapted for television and film and inspired animated series. Popular titles to hit the silver screen included How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Horton Hears a Who, and The Lorax.