The author who created the Dr. Seuss books wrote racist and misogynistic cartoons in his early days - and mocked critics who called him out years later.

Theodor Geisel, who was behind children's classics like The Cat In The Hat, portrayed black people as if they were slaves being sold off at a white-owned department store.

He used the word 'n*****' to refer to African Americans and described women as 'insignificant and helpless', a new book coming out next Tuesday says.

The book, Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones is a candid re-examination of the author beloved by millions for his nonsense verse and vivid cartoons. 

During the Second World War, Geisel succumbed to the paranoia about Japanese Americans and wrote a cartoon showing them lining up to get explosives to bomb America.