“I know it is wet
And the sun is not sunny.
But we can have
lots of good fun that is funny!”
Who hasn’t read these words, central to the children’s book The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss? Functioning on more than one level, humour is an integral part of Dr Seuss’s books for children and The Cat in the Hat enjoyed immediate success on its publication in 1957. It has remained a benchmark in children’s literature ever since.
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss was a pseudonym and Geisel no doctor) wrote and illustrated The Cat in the Hat as a challenge from his editor who wanted a book for early readers that was not wearisome and uninspiring, as most of the primers at that time were. Working within the framework of the debate about child literacy, Geisel used a limited range of words thought necessary for the beginning reader and the book contains 236 different words.
The anthropomorphic cat of the title is a madcap character who walks into the house of two bored children and creates mayhem in the absence of their mother. Using a structure built around the adventures of two small children that was popular at the time, Geisel introduces fantasy in the form of the cat and his two friends, Thing One and Thing Two.
With the immediate success of The Cat in the Hat, in both the critical and popular audience, the far-reaching publisher of books for new readers, Beginner Books, was born. With Geisel as an initial partner it became a division of Random House two years later.
Many of Geisel’s stories contain metaphors for real life, and The Cat in the Hat fits into this mould. With a fully formed narrative in verse form that proves to be satisfying on several levels, its traditional nuclear family (minus the father although he has a role in the sequel) and an eye to good behaviour, adults can appreciate the wisdom behind the story. Geisel wrote a sequel to The Cat in the Hat in 1965, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.
Geisel was a prolific humorous writer and illustrator, becoming one of the most popular and best-selling children’s authors of all time, and received a Pulitzer Prize for his work in 1984. The Cat is the Hat was and remains a favourite for children and adults alike, with its upbeat rhymes, funny story, and lively and engaging illustrations. Enthralling bedtime story for some, joyous romp through a bit of nonsense for others. Take your pick.
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