The Cat in the Hat is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie. The Cat shows up at the house of Sally and her brother one rainy day when their mother is away. Despite the repeated objections of the children's fish, the Cat shows the children a few of his tricks in an attempt to entertain them. In the process, he and his companions, Thing One and Thing Two, wreck the house. As the children and the fish become more alarmed, the Cat produces a machine that he uses to clean everything up and disappears just before the children's mother comes home.
An article by John Hersey about literacy in early childhood provided inspiration for The Cat in the Hat.
According to Geisel, one of the stories he pitched before The Cat in the Hat involved scaling Mount Everest.
Bennett Cerf (pictured in 1932), 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.
Geisel in 1957, holding a copy of The Cat in the Hat
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children's author and cartoonist. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.
Dr. Seuss in 1957
Bronze statue of Dr. Seuss and his character The Cat in the Hat outside the Geisel Library in San Diego
Geisel at work on a drawing of the Grinch for How the Grinch Stole Christmas! in 1957
Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida