The Cat in the Hat

Written by Dr. Seuss

A rainy day spirals into chaos when an unexpected guest arrives with wild tricks.

4.7/7 Bookroo experts·4.2/5 Goodreads · 597,090 ratings

61 pages· 1,621 words· Est. 13 min read-aloud

$9.99Save 4%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Dick and Sally are stuck indoors on a dreary day until a giant cat in a hat bursts in, promising fun and chaos. With his mischievous companions, Thing One and Thing Two, the cat turns their quiet home into a whirlwind of adventure. Can they restore order before their mother returns? Dive into this playful tale where every page brings a new surprise and a lesson in managing mayhem. Will the children find a way to balance fun and responsibility, or will the cat's antics leave a lasting mark on their day?

From the publisher

Poor Dick and Sally. It’s cold and wet and they’re stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process! Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that “pallid primers [with] abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls’ were leading to growing illiteracy among children, The Cat in the Hat (the first Random House Beginner Book) changed the way our children learn how to read.

At a glance

Format
Pages: 61
Words: 1,621
Reading age: 4–7
Audience: Early Reader
Lexile: 430L

Themes & topics

Books about kids stuck at home Books about imagination and play Books about cats Books about homeschooling

Inside the book

A peek between the covers

Good to know

Stories behind the story

Why was The Cat in the Hat written?

Life Magazine had recently published an article, “Why Do Students Bog Down on First R? A Local Committee Sheds Light on a National Problem: Reading,” that criticized reading primers, saying they were too boring. After that article, William Ellsworth Spaulding (the director of education at Houghton Mifflin) challenged Theodore Geisel to write a better one. He finished The Cat in the Hat 9 months later.

How many copies of The Cat in the Hat have been sold?

As of 2017, over 16 million copies have been sold. Around 500,000 copies are sold every year.

How's the movie adaptation?

Rated PG, run time of 1h 22min, with a rating of 3.9/10 on IMDb (where you can also find a trailer and cast information). There's also a plan for [a second movie](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a848360/dr-seuss-cat-in-the-hat-animated-movie-warner-bros/ ){:target="_blank"}. ["The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1699440/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2 ){:target="_blank"}" was the televised version of the book, which can still be viewed at pbs.org.

What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.7

out of 7

3.8

“I don't know, I think it's weird. The cat always creeped me out and brought to the surface all of my anxiety about babysitters. I know it's Dr. Seuss, I know it's a classic, I just don't think it's a fun book. Somebody change my mind.”

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one