In 1950, Theodor Geisel—known to the world even then as Dr. Seuss—met up with a friend who worked for a new animation studio called United Productions of America. "UPA has a fresh outlook," the friend said. Could Seuss write something new and different for them? Something that had a little more going for it than the usual cats chasing mice? "Just suppose," Seuss came back, "there was a little kid who didn't speak words but only weird sounds?" And that's how Gerald McBoing Boing came into being. ...