The Cat in the Hat was written by Dr Seuss (pen name of Theodore (Ted) Geisel) and this book came about by chance.

As usual there was an argument about how to teach young children to read. The books being used were regarded as unsuitable. The arguing still goes on today.

Dr Seuss was asked to write an entertaining book from a prepared list of words to go towards replacing the current primers.. It was felt that making children learn phonics (letter-sound relationships) was too boring and learning to read the whole word way was much easier and more enjoyable.

Geisel was asked to write a book from a list of around 227 words. He had a number of versions on how the book came about. The story he told most often was that he scanned the list noticed the words cat and hat rhymed and decided to write about a cat in a hat.

The main character is a tall cat who behaves in a human way. He wears a red and white striped hat and a red bow tie. This magical cat turns up at the home of Sally and her brother on a rainy day when their mother was out. The cat was a trouble maker and the children become ill at ease as the he creates havoc around the house.

To entertain the children he shows them a few tricks despite the warnings from the children’s pet fish. The cat has two companions, Thing One and Thing Two and the three of them manage to wreck the house while the fish and the children look on in horror.

However, the Cat in the Hat is magical. He produces a machine that cleans up the house before mother arrives home.

The book Seuss wrote is far more entertaining than the traditional primers. It was an immediate success when it was published in 1957. It received critical acclaim and financial success.

Within three years, it had sold over a million copies.

In 2001, "The Cat in the Hat' was listed in the Publisher’s Weekly list as the ninth best-selling children’s books of all time.

Geisel was proud of the book because it had something to do with killing off the boring Dick and Jane primers.

The Cat in the Hat was the first of a number of Beginner Books that Geisel produced.

He is one of the most successful authors of all time. He wrote and illustrated 44 children’s books.

Some of his well-known titles are:

• Oh, the Places You’ll Go
• Green Eggs and Ham
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish:
• Hop on Pop: Pop
• Dr Seuss’s ABC:
• Fox in Socks: Dr Seuss Books
• My Book About Me
• Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Children adore Dr Seuss books.

The little homilies that give timely advice about the ways of the world are both entertaining and profound.

For example:

• You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
• Think and wonder, wonder and think.
• The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
• Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
• From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.

The boring primers had met their match!

Dr Seuss books are:

• Terrific to use to help young readers master phonics.

• Easy to read aloud and for building a child’s confidence.

• Great for reluctant readers. They’re fun!

• A way to introduce life’s lessons in an amusing and profound manner.

• Great gifts for children of all ages.

Dr Seuss has made an outstanding contribution to children’s literacy and I am sure he will for many generations to come.

Teaching young children to read is vitally important.