Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? His pictures and his rhymes are funny, inventive, and memorable. I usually write about traditional nonfiction picture books, but today I’m joining Michele Knott and Allyson Beecher in their #Road2Reading Challenge. Dr. Seuss: The Great Doodler is an early reader biography that explores the life of the author/illustrator everybody knows.

I loved reading about Theodore Geisel’s early life–visits to the zoo with his sketchpad, his work on a college humor magazine–and seeing connections to his later work. The book includes wonderful details. Did you know he composed with wacky hats on his head? I was especially fascinated to read about Geisel/Seuss’s work as an editor.

The book is labeled as a Step 3 Step into Reading book. It’s a great example of an engaging subject written for young readers.

Dr. Seuss: The Great Doodler, by Kate Klimo, pictures by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (Random House: 2016)