The Tough Coughs as he Ploughs the Dough: Early Writings and Cartoons by Dr. Seuss

Long before he envisioned the Cat that would forever change children's literature, Theodore Geisel was penning essays and cartoons for the humor magazines of the roaring 20's. But even then, he was best known as Dr. Seuss. Though these essays and articles aren't in his characteristic rhymes, they are still full of the wildly outrageous shenanigans we remember from his later works. Herein we learn "The Origin of Contract Bridge" (a game played by ancient Druids using croquet mallets), how to pull the old "Cow-out of Pocket" trick, as well as "Some New and Better Superstitions". Like most absurdist writings, it's hard to hit the mark every time and some of the good doctor's writings fall flat, but most are sure to induce giggles.Writing is only half of Seuss' talents however. All of the prose is illustrated, and the book also includes a nice collection of his cartoons. Most are one panel affairs reminiscent of Gary Larson's "Far Side" cartoons, but where Larson reveled in simplicity, Seuss fills his visions with detailed (if googly-eyed) beasts and fancifully intricate architecture.This is one of those "rainy day books". The kind you can pick up and thumb through when you need a quick case of the grins.

for anyone seeking the inane and absurd this book is a must. featuring essays, cartoons and captions, and illustrations all done in the purely irrational Seuss style, it none the less has a raw and unpolished feel; early work with excellent quality and different to the more known Seuss children's books. the content ranges from essays as "sex and the sea god- a frothy novelette" to educational charts on "making our daughters less irritating" and an extremely funny cartoon collection. if -and possibly only if- you are a fan of the nonsensical, Seuss' genius, as in this book, will have you chuckling for a long time yet.

We think of Dr. Suess as only a children's author but his early works, as seen in this collection, show his brilliance in the socio-political arena as well. I especially like his story, "The Waiting Room at Dang-Dang:Or Where the D.T.'s Go While Waiting for Assignment" and the story from which the book takes its title. If you are a Dr. Suess fan, and you can find this book available, it is a must for your collection.