Photos: 7 things you didn't know about Dr. Seuss

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<i>By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times</i><br>
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Not only do Dr. Seuss' more than 40 books have crazy rhyme structures and illustrations that are uniquely Seussian (many of the plants apparently were inspired by succulents at the San Diego Zoo), but Theodor Seuss Geisel also had a political agenda that he worked into some of his silliest-sounding books. And so, despite writing for kids, he voiced his opinion on dictatorships, nuclear proliferation and participatory democracy.<br>
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Friday marks the opening of the latest Dr. Seuss adaptation, "The Lorax," and it's a great opportunity to revisit our chat with Kansas State University's Philip Nel, an English professor and children's literature expert. He's the author of "Dr. Seuss: American Icon" and is a fabulous source of of Seuss knowledge.<br>
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<i>Photo: The 1954 Dr. Seuss book "Horton Hears a Who!" became a film of the same name in 2008.</i>

( 20th Century Fox / Associated Press )

By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times

Not only do Dr. Seuss' more than 40 books have crazy rhyme structures and illustrations that are uniquely Seussian (many of the plants apparently were inspired by succulents at the San Diego Zoo), but Theodor Seuss Geisel also had a political agenda that he worked into some of his silliest-sounding books. And so, despite writing for kids, he voiced his opinion on dictatorships, nuclear proliferation and participatory democracy.

Friday marks the opening of the latest Dr. Seuss adaptation, "The Lorax," and it's a great opportunity to revisit our chat with Kansas State University's Philip Nel, an English professor and children's literature expert. He's the author of "Dr. Seuss: American Icon" and is a fabulous source of of Seuss knowledge.

Photo: The 1954 Dr. Seuss book "Horton Hears a Who!" became a film of the same name in 2008.

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