The Cat in the Hat

Story

A talking cat wearing a hat and a bowtie turns up at Sally and her brother’s house on a rainy day with his companions Thing One and Thing Two – much to the dismay of the children’s pet fish. The cat’s attempts to entertain the children grow increasingly messier and out-of-control, and the story follows the chaos that ensues.

Why we chose it

Children love the rhymes and the madness of the Cat himself.

Where it came from

Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created The Cat in the Hat primarily as a response to an article written by John Hersey, which criticised the way society approached teaching children to read, and the books they used. From a list of 348 words that children should be able to read, Seuss was challenged to write a more engaging story for children – and The Cat in the Hat was born.

Where it went next

The Cat in the Hat launched Dr Seuss into fame. It was immediately popular and went on to win multiple awards, and was adapted into a major motion picture in 2003. The cat became the mascot of Random House publishers, and a statue of the cat stands next to Dr. Seuss’ memorial. The Cat in the Hat is one of the lead characters in the musical Seussical, based on the books of Dr Seuss.

In recent years there has been growing criticism of the portrayal of people of colour in Seuss's stories , which has identified numerous examples of offensive and racial stereotypes and caricatures in his characters.

Associated stories

The Cat in the Hat’s success went on to increase the popularity of Dr Seuss’ previous books such as Horton Hatches the Egg and others in the Horton series.