Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen-name of Dr Seuss, would have turned 107 this week. He is of course a legend in American books, credited with turning vast numbers of US children onto reading.
Perhaps his most famous book, The Cat in the Hat, was created partly in response to a challenge in Life magazine for certain children's illustrators. The magazine article argued that the first books used to help children read were not lively enough.
The book was specifically designed to use words which children in the right age bracket would just be learning to use at the time.
Being remembered by Americans from an early age, Dr Seuss has also turned many people onto collecting - notably, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. Last December, a rare undiscovered manuscript by the author at Nate D Sanders' auction.
 So many sports... Dr Seuss's unpublished work |
The manuscript was an unfinished rough first draft of an unpublished story entitled "All Sorts of Sports", featuring Dr Seuss's handwritten notes, rhymes and drawings throughout. It had an estimated price of approximately $7,500, but when the hammer fell it had sold for $40,805.
The story was to feature an indecisive athlete called Pete, whose attempts to play different sports would all end in failure. The manuscript features some of Seuss' trademark rhymes such as:
"I could play baseball…golf..or catch. Or I could play a tennis match... Shall I play checkers? golf? croquet? There are so many games there are to play."
Collectors interested in investing in another illustrated American classic may wish to take a look at this portfolio of Charles Schulz collectibles.
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