As the Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Imagine Ent. feature film adaptation makes its way to theaters this Friday, Dr. Seuss’ beloved 1957 classic The Cat in the Hat is set to make a killing in bookstores again. According to Random House Children’s Books, the title will hit The New York Times Bestseller List on November 23rd for the first time in decades.
The powerful marketing and publicity campaign behind the movie has dramatically increased demand for the classic book, driving it to the No.-2 spot on the prestigious list.
"On the eve of the celebration of Ted Geisel’s 100th birthday, I couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute," comments Kate Klimo, VP and publisher of the Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group, a division of Random House Children’s Books. "After all, it was with this book that Ted changed forever the way children learn to read, and it is gratifying to see it in the position of prominence it truly deserves."
Ted Geisel wrote The Cat in the Hat in response to John Hersey’s 1954 Life magazine article titled "Why Do Students Bog Down on the First R?" Hersey felt that children’s books were boring and could not compete with cartoons and comics. Geisel’s entry was an instant bestseller and today there are more than 8.5 million copies of Cat in the Hat in print.
The movie stars Mike Meyers in the title role and combines live action and CG-animated elements to bring Geisel’s colorful, imaginative and delightfully twisted world to life.
The year 2004 marks the centennial of Geisel’s birth, and Random House Children’s Books will join Dr. Seuss Enterprises in a year-long tribute to the man known and loved by generations as Dr. Seuss. For complete information on the events and activities comprising "Seussentennial: A Century of Imagination" log onto http://www.seussentennial.com.
