books

Look, a new book! Dr Seuss tale will be published in July

February 19, 2015

A new Dr Seuss book, based on a manuscript and sketches by the much-loved children's author, will be released this summer, 24 years after his death, Random House Children's Books said yesterday.

"What Pet Should I Get?" will be published on July 28 and will be followed by at least two other books based on materials left by the prolific and award-winning author Theodor Geisel, who wrote under the pen-name Dr Seuss and who died in 1991.

"While undeniably special, it is not surprising to me that we found this because Ted always worked on multiple projects and started new things all the time – he was constantly writing and drawing and coming up with ideas for new stories," his widow, Audrey Geisel, said in a statement.

It was particularly pleasing, she added, because it is nearly 25 years since the publication of the last book of her husband's career, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

She and his long-time secretary discovered the manuscript in 2013 while cleaning out his office in their California home. It was among a box of papers and sketches that she had found and put aside after his death.

Cathy Goldsmith, the author's former art director who will oversee the publication, said "What Pet Should I Get?" was probably written between 1958 and 1962. It features the brother and sister characters introduced in the Dr Seuss book "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish," which was published in 1960.

Geisel wrote and illustrated more than 45 books, including "The Cat in the Hat," "Green Eggs and Ham" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," before his death at the age of 87. More than 650 million copies of his works have been sold worldwide.

Random House Inc. is a unit of Germany-based media group Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA. – Reuters, February 19, 2015.