The Cat in the Hat facts for kids
Book cover
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House, Houghton Mifflin |
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Publication date
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March 12, 1957 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7172-6059-1 |
| Preceded by | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! |
| Followed by | The Cat in the Hat Comes Back |
The Cat in the Hat is a famous children's book written by Dr. Seuss. It was first published on March 12, 1957. Dr. Seuss wrote this book after someone challenged him. They wanted a fun story that new readers would enjoy.
He was given a list of 438 words that young readers should know. Dr. Seuss was told to only use words from this list. He managed to use 223 of them in the book! The Cat character became very popular. He appeared in many other Dr. Seuss books later on.
By 2007, over 10 million copies of The Cat in the Hat had been printed. It has been translated into more than 12 languages. One interesting translation is into Latin, called Cattus Petasatus. The story has also been adapted into television shows and a 2003 movie. The Cat even appears in a Broadway musical called Seussical.
The huge success of this book led to something special. It helped create Beginner Books, a publishing company. This company focused on making similar easy-to-read books for young children.
The Story of the Cat in the Hat
The book begins on a rainy day. Two children, Sally and her brother, are stuck at home. They are bored and have nothing to do. Suddenly, a tall, strange cat appears at their door. This cat wears a tall, red and white striped hat. He also has a big red bowtie.
The Cat in the Hat wants to entertain the children. He starts doing all sorts of amazing tricks. He balances many things at once. He can balance a cup, a cake, an umbrella, and more. He does all this while standing on a ball! The children's pet fish warns them. The fish thinks the Cat is causing too much trouble.
The Cat then brings in a large box from outside. Inside the box are two small, mischievous creatures. They are called Thing One and Thing Two. These "Things" are full of energy. They start flying kites inside the house. This makes a huge mess everywhere. The children are worried about their mother coming home.
To stop the chaos, the children use a net. They manage to catch Thing One and Thing Two. The Cat in the Hat sees the mess he has caused. He decides to help. Using a special machine, he quickly cleans up the entire house. He puts everything back in its place. The house looks perfect again. The Cat leaves just before the children's mother arrives home. The children are left wondering if they should tell their mother what happened.
Images for kids
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An article by John Hersey about literacy in early childhood provided inspiration for The Cat in the Hat.
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According to Geisel, one of the stories he pitched before The Cat in the Hat involved scaling Mount Everest.
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Bennett Cerf, the head of Random House, negotiated a deal that allowed both Random House and Houghton Mifflin to publish versions of The Cat in the Hat.
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Geisel in 1957, holding a copy of The Cat in the Hat.
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Geisel once called the fish in The Cat in the Hat "my version of Cotton Mather".
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A Cat in the Hat Christmas decoration in the White House, 2003.
See also
In Spanish: El gato en el sombrero para niños
