The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Synopsis

One wet, rainy day while mother is out, a boy and a girl sit dejectedly in their chairs, watching the rain beat against the window. They're bored. Suddenly, in bursts a large cat in a tall striped hat, ready to play - and not just ordinary games, oh no! This cat likes to create mischief and mayhem, and to aid him, he brings Thing One and Thing Two. These two small fuzzy blue imps race around the house, wreaking havoc. Who's going to clean up this mess? This most famous of all the Beginner Books has been beloved by readers young and old since 1957.

Children's Literature

Since 1957, millions of children have loved the story of the mischievous cat in the striped hat who arrives on a cold and rainy day with his now-famous friends Thing 1 and Thing 2. Although Sally and her brother are admonished by their goldfish not to let that cat in the house, they ignore their practical pet—and the world of children's books changed forever. Written using only 236 easy-to-read words, author/illustrator Theodor Geisel, who wrote under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, created this book as a reaction to the 1950s classroom reading materials that were considered uninteresting and thus part of the problem of illiteracy in America. To celebrate The Cat in the Hat's fiftieth birthday and to promote literacy, Random House has created this Party Edition with a snazzy foil cover, birthday logo, and a postcard to mail birthday greetings to the cat himself. For each birthday card received by mail or online, including the official postcard found only in the first printing of the Party Edition or a card created by a child, Random House will donate one book to First Book, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing low-income families with new books. Happy Birthday, Cat in the Hat!

Biography

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring Quick, Henry, the Flit!, appeared in several leading American magazines.Dr. Seuss's first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, hit the market in 1937, and the world of children's literature was changed forever!

In 1957, Seuss's The Cat in the Hat became the prototype for one of Random House's best- selling series, Beginner Books. This popular series combined engaging stories with outrageous illustrations and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills. Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books, some of which have been made into audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos for children of all ages. Even after his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.