You're Only Old Once!
Author | Dr. Seuss |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Comedy |
Published | March 2, 1986 |
Publisher | Random House |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
Preceded by | The Butter Battle Book |
Followed by | I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! |
You're Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children is a 1986 picture book for adults by Dr. Seuss, released on Geisel's 82nd birthday.[1] It was his first book for adults in 47 years.
Plot
The book follows an elderly man on a visit to the Golden Years Clinic, where he endures long waits and bizarre medical tests.
Background
You're Only Old Once! was written shortly after Geisel had suffered through a series of illnesses, during which he spent a considerable amount of time in hospital waiting rooms. To pass the time, he began sketching images of hospital machines and scenes of medical procedures. He later began to work those ideas into a book. Geisel quipped that he was "fed up with a social life consisting entirely of doctors".[2]
You're Only Old Once! was Seuss's first adult book since The Seven Lady Godivas, which was published in 1939. The Seven Lady Godivas sold fewer than 500 copies when it was first released,[3] but You're Only Old Once! reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list,[4] and remained on the list for over 60 weeks.[5]
The book's subtitle, A Book for Obsolete Children refers to a quote by Dr. Seuss describing why he did not enjoy writing for adults. After the failure of The Seven Lady Godivas, Seuss said in an interview, "Adults are just obsolete children, and the hell with them".[6][7]
References
- ^ "People". The Beaver County Times. 1986-03-04. p. C6.
- ^ Judith and Neil Morgan. Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel. De Capo, 1996. 261.
- ^ Ruthe Stein. "Dr. Seuss for Grownups: The famous children's author writes one for gray-haired former kids". San Francisco Chronicle. March 11, 1986. 19.
- ^ "Best sellers: March 30, 1986". The New York Times. March 30, 1986.
- ^ "Best sellers: May 17, 1987". The New York Times. May 17, 1987. Retrieved on July 2, 2009.
- ^ Warren T. Greenleaf (May 1982). "How the Grinch Stole Reading: The Serious Nonsense of Dr. Seuss". Principal Magazine. National Association of Elementary School Principals.
The Seven Lady Godivas is the one and only book Geisel has ever written for adults, and adults don't interest him.
- ^ Eric Pace (1991-09-26). "Dr. Seuss, Modern Mother Goose, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
But when he got around to doing a grown-up book […] the grown-ups did not seem to want to buy his humor, and he went back to writing for children, becoming famous and wealthy. "I'd rather write for kids", he later explained. "They're more appreciative; adults are obsolete children, and the hell with them."
- v
- t
- e
- The Grinch
- Horton the Elephant
- Bartholomew Cubbins
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
- The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
- The King's Stilts
- The Seven Lady Godivas
- Horton Hatches the Egg
- McElligot's Pool
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
- Bartholomew and the Oobleck
- If I Ran the Zoo
- Scrambled Eggs Super!
- Horton Hears a Who!
- On Beyond Zebra!
- If I Ran the Circus
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- The Cat in the Hat
- The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
- Happy Birthday to You!
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
- Green Eggs and Ham
- The Sneetches and Other Stories
- Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book
- Dr. Seuss's ABC
- Hop on Pop
- Fox in Socks
- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
- I Wish That I Had Duck Feet 1
- Come over to My House 1
- The Foot Book
- I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories
- My Book about ME
- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises!
- The Lorax
- Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- There's a Wocket in My Pocket
- Great Day for Up!
- Wacky Wednesday 1
- Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!
- The Cat's Quizzer
- I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
- Oh Say Can You Say?
- Hunches in Bunches
- The Butter Battle Book
- You're Only Old Once!
- I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!
- Daisy-Head Mayzie 2
- My Many Colored Days 2
- Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! 2
- The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories 2
- Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories 2
- What Pet Should I Get? 2
- Horse Museum 2
Television series |
|
---|---|
Television specials |
|
Film |
|
Video games |
|
Other media |
|
- Helen Palmer (first wife)
- A Fish Out of Water
- Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum
- Beginner Books
- Dr. Seuss Enters., L.P. v. Penguin Books USA, Inc.
- Dr. Seuss Goes to War
- The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss
- Dr. Seuss National Memorial
- Geisel Award
- Geisel Library
- Geisel School of Medicine
- PM
- Political messages of Dr. Seuss
- Read Across America
- Seuss Landing