What Pet Should I Get? (Classic Seuss) - Hardcover

Dr. Seuss

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553524267 ISBN 13: 9780553524260

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015

Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pick a pet with Dr. Seuss in this silly tale of cats, dogs, and more—featuring behind-the-scenes bonus content!

A dog or a cat? A fish or a bird? Or maybe a crazy creature straight from the mind of Dr. Seuss! Which pet would YOU get? A trip to the pet store turns into a hilarious struggle when two kids must choose one pet to take home... but every time they think they see an animal they like, they find something even better! Perfect for animal lovers and Seuss lovers alike, this book will delight readers young and old.

Bringing readers a previously unpublished manuscript and sketches that were discovered twenty-two years after Dr. Seuss’s death, this edition of What Pet Should I Get? features eight pages of commentary on his creative process and love of pets.

The cat?
Or the dog?
The kitten?
The pup?
Oh, boy!
It is something
to make a mind up.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodor Seuss Geisel, is one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time. From The Cat in the Hat to Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, his iconic characters, stories, and art style have had a lasting influence on generations of children and adults. The books he wrote and illustrated under the name Dr. Seuss (along with others he wrote but did not illustrate, under the pseudonyms Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone) have been published in fifty languages. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Dr. Seuss’s long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors, the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys, and a Peabody.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—More than 20 years after Theodor Geisel's death, a newly unearthed Dr. Seuss book hits the shelves. Discovered in 2013 by Geisel's widow and his assistant, the completed manuscript and accompanying sketches were found in a box containing some of the legendary picture book creator's doodles and notes. Written sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s, the tale very much reflects the culture of its time: two white siblings go to a pet store and struggle to answer the titular question. The children encounter a menagerie of real and fantastically Seussical animals. The pair bound exuberantly through each spread as they debate the merits of each creature. The rhyme scheme bounces along merrily for the most part, with the exception of a verse concerning a "yent" in a "tent," where the pattern shifts awkwardly, though it picks up steam again with the next page turn. While there is no visual adult presence in this book, readers learn that "Dad said we could have one./Dad said he would pay" and that Mother would not like a "thing on a string" that "would bump, bump into the wall!" A repeated spread depicts four potential pets holding up a banner that reads, "MAKE UP YOUR MIND." There's an ambiguous ending, and readers are left to wonder what pet the siblings finally bring home. Though the discovered manuscript included only black-and-white sketches, this finished work features the deep aqua, sunshine yellow, and vibrant red that were hallmarks of Seuss illustrations of the time period. Random House's Cathy Goldsmith, who was the designer and art director for many of Geisel's titles, worked to capture just the right palette; the good doctor would have been pleased. A note from the publisher reveals a bit of the anxiety associated with publishing a text written more than 50 years ago, "when it was common for people to simply buy dogs, cats, and other animals at pet stores. Today animal advocates encourage us to adopt…." Additional back matter includes anecdotes about a young Ted Geisel and his love of dogs, candid photos, and the story behind the discovery of this volume. VERDICT More nostalgia-inducing than groundbreaking, this picture book offers Seuss fans many familiar touchstones: jaunty rhymes, nonsense words, and the signature artwork beloved by generations of new and emerging readers.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553524267
• ISBN 13: 9780553524260
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48