The Cat in the Hat (book)

Look at me. I have a bright red and white cover that is so fun to touch. Can you see the tall cat with the silly grin. He is wearing a tall, stripy hat. My pages are full of bouncy, rhyming words that are waiting to dance and play. When you open me up, a giggle is waiting to happen. I am a big adventure just for you. I am the book, The Cat in the Hat.

I was made by a wonderful man who loved to make children laugh. His name was Theodor Geisel, but everyone called him Dr. Seuss. He had a super fun idea. He wanted to make learning to read a happy game. He took a list of very simple words, like cat, hat, sun, and fun, and used them to create a whole world. He drew pictures of a cat in a tall hat who visits two children, Sally and her brother, on a very rainy day. He worked and worked until I was just right, and on March 12th, 1957, I was ready for children to read me.

When children first opened my pages, their eyes got big and wide. They giggled at the Cat's silly tricks. They laughed when he brought out his friends, Thing One and Thing Two, who ran all over the house. Reading my words wasn't like doing chores. It was like playing a fun game. I showed everyone that a book could be a new friend and that learning to read could be the best adventure of all.

Now, I sit on shelves in libraries and bedrooms, waiting for new friends to open me up. My cover is still bright red and white, and the Cat is still smiling. I am always ready to play. I want to remind everyone that even on a gray, rainy day when you can't go outside, you can find fun, laughter, and a wonderful adventure right inside a book.