What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cat in the Hat #2
PRINCESS & THE PAUPE
The mischievous cat returns on a snowy day when there is work to be done.
64 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 1958
241 people are currently reading
7614 people want to read
About the author
Dr. Seuss
963 books18.3k followersAlso wrote as Theodore Seuss Geisel, see https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 830 reviews
May 23, 2019
The first book is a solid enough classic, if a little too wordy by today's standards. But the cat is a great character, kind of a (in fantasy genre terms) wild fae, who shows up to mess you up if you're too lazy and bored or something like that. There's a fantastic wildness to the cat, where it's impossible to tell what he really wants. He's rowdy but not all bad, and he has feelings.
This sequel is pretty much a retread, and it's generally worse in every way. Now the kids are outside shoveling snow, and cat arrives again likes a wrecking ball to mess them up. There is one brilliant idea, which is that underneath the cat's big hat there's a possibly infinite amount of smaller cats in smaller hats with even smaller cats in even smaller hats under their hats. I guess if you were wondering why the cat's hat is so big, now you know.
Unfortunately, the cats-on-cats-on-cats idea is wasted in favor of what for me was a real disturbing focus on guns in this book. Why do these cats need guns for their antics? They don't. Get the guns out of kids books please.
This sequel is pretty much a retread, and it's generally worse in every way. Now the kids are outside shoveling snow, and cat arrives again likes a wrecking ball to mess them up. There is one brilliant idea, which is that underneath the cat's big hat there's a possibly infinite amount of smaller cats in smaller hats with even smaller cats in even smaller hats under their hats. I guess if you were wondering why the cat's hat is so big, now you know.
Unfortunately, the cats-on-cats-on-cats idea is wasted in favor of what for me was a real disturbing focus on guns in this book. Why do these cats need guns for their antics? They don't. Get the guns out of kids books please.
June 20, 2019
Neo is back to read me a story
It should not be anything all that gory
This was a good story about a bad cat
Who sits in the bathtub, happy to get fat
When he is forced from his warm tub
No longer able to sing
He leaves two young children
A horrid cat ring
It's pink! It's a nightmare
What will Mother say?
This will surely will need cleaning
All night and into the day
The story retells the dramatic affair
Of how two children panicked, full of despair
But this Cat had some friend come, they were all set
These cat friends spanned the entire alphabet
Yes, Neo did enjoy reading this tale
Though the pictures distracted and he read like a snail
I am proud to see progress with his reading of books
Soon, Goodreads friends of all nationalities will give us looks
It should not be anything all that gory
This was a good story about a bad cat
Who sits in the bathtub, happy to get fat
When he is forced from his warm tub
No longer able to sing
He leaves two young children
A horrid cat ring
It's pink! It's a nightmare
What will Mother say?
This will surely will need cleaning
All night and into the day
The story retells the dramatic affair
Of how two children panicked, full of despair
But this Cat had some friend come, they were all set
These cat friends spanned the entire alphabet
Yes, Neo did enjoy reading this tale
Though the pictures distracted and he read like a snail
I am proud to see progress with his reading of books
Soon, Goodreads friends of all nationalities will give us looks
May 7, 2018
The mischievous cat returns.
Along with it comes the alphabetical cats in successive hats. And more of everything.
Let me just me put is as this is the way of explaining Inception to 5 year olds.
Rhyming, repetitive and recurring lines cast the spell again!
PS : Wait, the goldfish did not return. I KNEW the cat ate it in the first part.
Along with it comes the alphabetical cats in successive hats. And more of everything.
Let me just me put is as this is the way of explaining Inception to 5 year olds.
Rhyming, repetitive and recurring lines cast the spell again!
PS : Wait, the goldfish did not return. I KNEW the cat ate it in the first part.
May 9, 2022
It's snowy and Dick and Sally are shoveling the snow outside but then the strange cat returns and messes things up. It is a sequel to The Cat in the Hat and even though it isn't as good as the first book, it's still pretty great.
The cat is a strange character. It is neither good nor bad. It is notorious and messes things up but still teaches the kids a message. I guess it teaches everyone that not everything is black and white.
4 stars
The cat is a strange character. It is neither good nor bad. It is notorious and messes things up but still teaches the kids a message. I guess it teaches everyone that not everything is black and white.
4 stars
March 27, 2022
Everything was amazing except VOOM.
September 11, 2017
‘Dr Seuss’ being the pen name under which Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote (taking his middle name and making full use of his Oxford University PhD in English literature) was the American born grandson of German immigrants to the US.
Beginning his career in the late 1920’s as an illustrator and cartoonist, it wasn’t until nearly 30 years later that Seuss produced his classic series of children’s books that so many of us know and love.
Never having the benefit of the books of Dr Seuss when I was a child, it was with great pleasure that I discovered his work many years later when reading them to my own children.
For anyone who has not yet discovered Seuss’s classic children’s books – now is the time to do so! What Seuss has created using such imagination, with a particularly dynamic (both flamboyant but simple) and unique style of illustration, coupled with his verse rhythms and the use of repetitive but building and twisting phrases – all in an extremely and deliberately accessible way, is a series of works which are a fantastic visual and verbal feast, captivating both children and adults alike.
For me the most memorable examples of Seuss’s work are:
‘The Cat in the Hat’ (along with its sequel ‘The Cat in the Hat Comes Back’) – For the wonderful creation of mischief that is the ‘Cat in the Hat’
‘Fox in Socks’ – For the tremendously bizarre tongue-twisters
‘Green Eggs and Ham’ – For the ever building and dynamic nature of the verse.
All of them of course have Seuss’s trademark fantastic illustrations and rhythmic verses throughout.
It is that unique combination of:
Attractive illustrations and exciting verse – both very dynamic, always moving always going somewhere new; both very strange, silly and bizarre – all in an extremely accessible, engaging and compelling (and let’s not forget educational) way – which creates Dr Seuss’s fantastically immersive world.
A timeless world of the imagination, of amazing words, pictures, rhymes, stories, learning, but above all else – FUN
Not just for children, but for the child in all of us.
Beginning his career in the late 1920’s as an illustrator and cartoonist, it wasn’t until nearly 30 years later that Seuss produced his classic series of children’s books that so many of us know and love.
Never having the benefit of the books of Dr Seuss when I was a child, it was with great pleasure that I discovered his work many years later when reading them to my own children.
For anyone who has not yet discovered Seuss’s classic children’s books – now is the time to do so! What Seuss has created using such imagination, with a particularly dynamic (both flamboyant but simple) and unique style of illustration, coupled with his verse rhythms and the use of repetitive but building and twisting phrases – all in an extremely and deliberately accessible way, is a series of works which are a fantastic visual and verbal feast, captivating both children and adults alike.
For me the most memorable examples of Seuss’s work are:
‘The Cat in the Hat’ (along with its sequel ‘The Cat in the Hat Comes Back’) – For the wonderful creation of mischief that is the ‘Cat in the Hat’
‘Fox in Socks’ – For the tremendously bizarre tongue-twisters
‘Green Eggs and Ham’ – For the ever building and dynamic nature of the verse.
All of them of course have Seuss’s trademark fantastic illustrations and rhythmic verses throughout.
It is that unique combination of:
Attractive illustrations and exciting verse – both very dynamic, always moving always going somewhere new; both very strange, silly and bizarre – all in an extremely accessible, engaging and compelling (and let’s not forget educational) way – which creates Dr Seuss’s fantastically immersive world.
A timeless world of the imagination, of amazing words, pictures, rhymes, stories, learning, but above all else – FUN
Not just for children, but for the child in all of us.
October 15, 2018
Better even than the original - The Cat in the Hat. This one is about snow: Sally and I are outside shovelling, making paths when the cat turns up.
He helps himself to a bath and eats cake - in the bath, which leaves a pink ring. The ring is cleaned by the cat with mother's new dress, and then I believe the pink is scrubbed off dad's shoes on to the bed, at which point the Cat calls in little Cats A, B, and C to help.
The pink is fan-blown? out the window, onto the snow, so more reinforcements are summoned; little Cat C has D, E, and F inside his hat, and so on to little Cat Z who is too small to see.
Excuse me please, maybe not all my details are absolutely correct as this is done from memory - Leo has the book, which I could tell from his absolute silence - he was Impressed!
He helps himself to a bath and eats cake - in the bath, which leaves a pink ring. The ring is cleaned by the cat with mother's new dress, and then I believe the pink is scrubbed off dad's shoes on to the bed, at which point the Cat calls in little Cats A, B, and C to help.
The pink is fan-blown? out the window, onto the snow, so more reinforcements are summoned; little Cat C has D, E, and F inside his hat, and so on to little Cat Z who is too small to see.
Excuse me please, maybe not all my details are absolutely correct as this is done from memory - Leo has the book, which I could tell from his absolute silence - he was Impressed!
May 16, 2019
The Cat in the Hat is back and continues messing up things at the house of Sally and her brother. Their mother is conveniently away again, but this time the fish is also missing.
The Cat tries to fix the mess that he made and in the end he makes a bigger mess.
Until he lifts his hat and now we know what he hides underneath it: Little Cats. As many as the Alphabet Letters.
Perfect little copies of the Cat in the Hat. These cats will help cleaning up, but not before they create much bigger mess.
Again this is just a silly book, but it can create lots of laughter and it can help children with their reading and with remembering the english alphabet.
The Cat tries to fix the mess that he made and in the end he makes a bigger mess.
Until he lifts his hat and now we know what he hides underneath it: Little Cats. As many as the Alphabet Letters.
Perfect little copies of the Cat in the Hat. These cats will help cleaning up, but not before they create much bigger mess.
Again this is just a silly book, but it can create lots of laughter and it can help children with their reading and with remembering the english alphabet.
September 24, 2017
by Andrea Renee Cox
What a cute ABC book! I hadn't read this Dr. Seuss book prior to now, surprisingly. I'm adding it to my to-purchase list, because it's very adorable and one I can imagine reading to any kids I may have down the road.
I was not compensated for my honest review.
What a cute ABC book! I hadn't read this Dr. Seuss book prior to now, surprisingly. I'm adding it to my to-purchase list, because it's very adorable and one I can imagine reading to any kids I may have down the road.
I was not compensated for my honest review.
August 8, 2023
4 stars. I didn’t love this one as much as book one. It was funny, but not quite as funny. And I didn’t love the plot as much. But it was a good sequel and my siblings enjoyed it.
November 23, 2021
I’m still attempting to get ahead on my reading goal…
May 29, 2021
That troublemaking feline who first appeared in 1957, in Dr. Seuss' very first early reader,
The Cat in the Hat
, returns in this second, alphabetic adventure. As the narrator and his sister Sally shovel snow, the Cat in the Hat appears, dashing off into the house despite being told he is not welcome. Here he makes the predictable mess, and then unveils his helpers: little cats in hats, nested within his own hat like Matryoshka dolls, and named (one each) for the letters of the alphabet. This feline crew swing into action to clean up the big pink spot that persists, as a result of the original Cat in the Hat's shenanigans, with the deciding factor in their success being the invisible VOOM living under Cat Z's hat...
Originally published in 1958, the year after its predecessor, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was Dr. Seuss's sixteenth children's book, and the second of what would grow to become a substantial collection of early readers. Although it can be read as a picture-book, it belongs to Random House's I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Books collection, which encompasses all of the Dr. Seuss and Dr. Seuss-labeled early readers, as well as other titles. Like the earlier title, it is a book I recall reading and enjoying as a child, although perhaps not as often or as much as the first. I picked it up for this reread as part of my recently begun Dr. Seuss retrospective, in which I will be reading and reviewing all of of his classic children's books, in chronological publication order. This is a project I undertook as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street , McElligot's Pool , If I Ran the Zoo , Scrambled Eggs Super! , On Beyond Zebra! and The Cat's Quizzer - by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, due to the outdated and potentially offensive elements that they contain. See my review of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street , to be found HERE, for a fuller exploration of my thoughts on that matter.
As I mentioned in my recent review of The Cat in the Hat , although these books are not currently being suppressed through this recent decision on the part of the copyright holder, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, to cease publication, it may only be a matter of time until they have been added to that sad list. To quote myself: "Sadly, the censorious impulse - including, and perhaps especially, the self-censorious impulse, of which this recent decision is an example - only gains strength as it is fed, and this particular book has already run afoul of those same critics whose work seems to have informed Dr. Seuss Enterprises' recent action against the artistic and literary legacy that they are meant to be representing. Apparently the argument has been put forward, in such academic titles as Philip Nel's Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books , that the titular Cat in this story is a descendant of the minstrel shows and blackface of earlier generations, and that his actions are a coded reflection of white fears about the disruptive nature of black power. I cannot comment upon Nel's argument, having not yet read the book - something I hope to do in the future - but some of the reviews of it that I have seen, reviews that mention all of the "decoding" done by the critic, in order to arrive at his conclusion, do make me wonder whether the text actually supports that conclusion, or whether the entire argument rests upon the imposition of the critic's own preexisting assumptions upon the text. I hope, at some point, to have an answer to that question, as well as a better understanding of the role of critics like Nel in this recent decision from Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Whatever the final argument put forward in his book, it is not my intention to assert that he can be held directly accountable for this act of censoriousness, simply by virtue of his having made a critique of Dr. Seuss' work. There is a difference, after all, between critique - even harsh critique - and calling for censorship. Of course, if Nel's book does indeed make an argument for suppressing books such as The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, or if Nel was one of the panel of "experts" Dr. Seuss Enterprises is said to have consulted, then that is a different matter, and some of the blame for this recent episode of cultural vandalism can indeed be laid at his feet."
Again, as with the first book, in light of this criticism I have given particular attention to the depiction of the Cat during this reread, in order to see whether I could detect any problematic racialized elements to his character. There is certainly a disquieting element to these stories - Nel is not wrong in labeling the cat disruptive! - that I recall finding rather striking, even as a young girl. Of course, my sense then was more that the Cat was being "naughty," and that the story represented the mischief children get up to, absent parental authority. This second story has an additional disturbing element, one I see referenced in quite a few online reviews, in that the alphabetical cat crew use play pop-guns in defeating the pink spot. This is interesting, because I don't recall the pop-guns from my girlhood reading of the book, making me think now that I just accepted them as a matter of course, understanding that they were toys, rather than the real thing. Truthfully, even reading as an adult, I find the pop-guns (referred to in some online reviews simply as "guns," with no reference to them being toys) less disturbing than the pink slime, which initially came off the Cat in the Hat himself, after taking a bath. In any case, I don't see any of these story elements, however disturbing - the Cat in the Hat's blithe disregard for the fact that he isn't welcome, the nasty pink slime, the alphabetical cat crew - as being in any way "coded" black. I will have to read further, in Nel's work, to get a sense of why he thinks otherwise.
I'll conclude by observing, as I did in my review of the first book, that "whatever interpretation the reader lands upon, when it comes to the meaning of the story and its creator's intentions, the experience of generations of children confirm that this is an immensely entertaining book. I can only hope that it will not be disappeared by our current climate of censoriousness, and that coming generations will also be able to enjoy its odd, disquieting charm."
Originally published in 1958, the year after its predecessor, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was Dr. Seuss's sixteenth children's book, and the second of what would grow to become a substantial collection of early readers. Although it can be read as a picture-book, it belongs to Random House's I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Books collection, which encompasses all of the Dr. Seuss and Dr. Seuss-labeled early readers, as well as other titles. Like the earlier title, it is a book I recall reading and enjoying as a child, although perhaps not as often or as much as the first. I picked it up for this reread as part of my recently begun Dr. Seuss retrospective, in which I will be reading and reviewing all of of his classic children's books, in chronological publication order. This is a project I undertook as an act of personal protest against the suppression of six of the author/artist's titles - And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street , McElligot's Pool , If I Ran the Zoo , Scrambled Eggs Super! , On Beyond Zebra! and The Cat's Quizzer - by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, due to the outdated and potentially offensive elements that they contain. See my review of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street , to be found HERE, for a fuller exploration of my thoughts on that matter.
As I mentioned in my recent review of The Cat in the Hat , although these books are not currently being suppressed through this recent decision on the part of the copyright holder, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, to cease publication, it may only be a matter of time until they have been added to that sad list. To quote myself: "Sadly, the censorious impulse - including, and perhaps especially, the self-censorious impulse, of which this recent decision is an example - only gains strength as it is fed, and this particular book has already run afoul of those same critics whose work seems to have informed Dr. Seuss Enterprises' recent action against the artistic and literary legacy that they are meant to be representing. Apparently the argument has been put forward, in such academic titles as Philip Nel's Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books , that the titular Cat in this story is a descendant of the minstrel shows and blackface of earlier generations, and that his actions are a coded reflection of white fears about the disruptive nature of black power. I cannot comment upon Nel's argument, having not yet read the book - something I hope to do in the future - but some of the reviews of it that I have seen, reviews that mention all of the "decoding" done by the critic, in order to arrive at his conclusion, do make me wonder whether the text actually supports that conclusion, or whether the entire argument rests upon the imposition of the critic's own preexisting assumptions upon the text. I hope, at some point, to have an answer to that question, as well as a better understanding of the role of critics like Nel in this recent decision from Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Whatever the final argument put forward in his book, it is not my intention to assert that he can be held directly accountable for this act of censoriousness, simply by virtue of his having made a critique of Dr. Seuss' work. There is a difference, after all, between critique - even harsh critique - and calling for censorship. Of course, if Nel's book does indeed make an argument for suppressing books such as The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, or if Nel was one of the panel of "experts" Dr. Seuss Enterprises is said to have consulted, then that is a different matter, and some of the blame for this recent episode of cultural vandalism can indeed be laid at his feet."
Again, as with the first book, in light of this criticism I have given particular attention to the depiction of the Cat during this reread, in order to see whether I could detect any problematic racialized elements to his character. There is certainly a disquieting element to these stories - Nel is not wrong in labeling the cat disruptive! - that I recall finding rather striking, even as a young girl. Of course, my sense then was more that the Cat was being "naughty," and that the story represented the mischief children get up to, absent parental authority. This second story has an additional disturbing element, one I see referenced in quite a few online reviews, in that the alphabetical cat crew use play pop-guns in defeating the pink spot. This is interesting, because I don't recall the pop-guns from my girlhood reading of the book, making me think now that I just accepted them as a matter of course, understanding that they were toys, rather than the real thing. Truthfully, even reading as an adult, I find the pop-guns (referred to in some online reviews simply as "guns," with no reference to them being toys) less disturbing than the pink slime, which initially came off the Cat in the Hat himself, after taking a bath. In any case, I don't see any of these story elements, however disturbing - the Cat in the Hat's blithe disregard for the fact that he isn't welcome, the nasty pink slime, the alphabetical cat crew - as being in any way "coded" black. I will have to read further, in Nel's work, to get a sense of why he thinks otherwise.
I'll conclude by observing, as I did in my review of the first book, that "whatever interpretation the reader lands upon, when it comes to the meaning of the story and its creator's intentions, the experience of generations of children confirm that this is an immensely entertaining book. I can only hope that it will not be disappeared by our current climate of censoriousness, and that coming generations will also be able to enjoy its odd, disquieting charm."
December 31, 2018
My Grandchildren love this book so much that I'm thinking of leaving home if I have to read it yet again. I love this book really and it's great to watch their faces light up when this book appears.
August 29, 2020
Great follow up from the original. Lovely rhyming flow. Fab illustrations. Not too 'wordy' encouraging little ones to read it Independently
December 27, 2022
Once in my life, I worked with some tough, violent teenagers who had alarms on their doors to protect the other kids during the night, since legally/technically some of them were sex offenders and it was the procedure we had to follow. They were all under seventeen years of age.
After I tried reading it to them once, (I didn't think it would resonate since the books are geared for younger kids) but they often asked me to read 'The Cat In the Hat Comes Back' by Dr Seuss from then on, often just before I locked the office at 22:00 and tried to get some sleep on that uncomfortable office bed.
I would sit on the floor in the office doorway (often as the other staff member was finishing a report or waiting for their shift to end) and read it down the dark hallway.
I would listen to the boys whisper the words they remembered as I read, the silly sing-song catchphrases that usually incite laughter in young kids.
They must have known the story, from perhaps a calmer more peaceful time in their childhoods.
I liked to imagine them recalling quiet introspective moments with a parent or significant figure as they whispered those silly words.
It's a pretty fun story from what I remember, read it if you haven't.
After I tried reading it to them once, (I didn't think it would resonate since the books are geared for younger kids) but they often asked me to read 'The Cat In the Hat Comes Back' by Dr Seuss from then on, often just before I locked the office at 22:00 and tried to get some sleep on that uncomfortable office bed.
I would sit on the floor in the office doorway (often as the other staff member was finishing a report or waiting for their shift to end) and read it down the dark hallway.
I would listen to the boys whisper the words they remembered as I read, the silly sing-song catchphrases that usually incite laughter in young kids.
They must have known the story, from perhaps a calmer more peaceful time in their childhoods.
I liked to imagine them recalling quiet introspective moments with a parent or significant figure as they whispered those silly words.
It's a pretty fun story from what I remember, read it if you haven't.
November 28, 2016
As much as I and my kids adored the original The Cat in the Hat, this followup (and I believe there were actually two or three others as well) paled in comparison to the original. That is not to say that it is not entertaining, but I'd rather go for Green Eggs and Ham or Horton Hears a Who than this one given the choice.
March 21, 2020
Another wonderful book from Dr. Seuss. To me one of the best out there to teach children about the ABC's using rhyming and repetition. I loved it as a kid, loved sharing it with my children and now enjoying it in story time with my grandchildren. As usual the rhyme and rhythm are so well done they will get caught in your brain for awhile, and the illustrations are wonderful.
January 6, 2022
It’s a snowy day and Dick and Sally are stuck shovelling . . . until the Cat in the Hat arrives to liven things up (to say the least!). Featuring the Cat’s helpers Little Cat A, Little Cat B, and so on through the alphabet, and ending with a gigantic Voom,
'The Cat in the Hat Comes Back' is a riotous, fun-filled follow-up to Dr. Seuss’s classic 'The Cat in the Hat.'.
'The Cat in the Hat Comes Back' is a riotous, fun-filled follow-up to Dr. Seuss’s classic 'The Cat in the Hat.'.
September 11, 2011
Not as powerful as the original Cat in the Hat, but with all the inexorable poignancy of a repetition compulsion, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back draws the marrow from the bourgeois skeletons broken by his original foray into suburban America. Is this crisis or has it now become commentary?--or, more insidiously, is it both?
Subliminally compelling. The reason we lost China and Southeast Asia.
Subliminally compelling. The reason we lost China and Southeast Asia.
October 18, 2022
★ 3 stars
~
[read with my little brother]
~
not as rememberable as the first one. i forgot i had read this until i read it with my brother.
~
but it was still a fun read.
~
[read with my little brother]
~
not as rememberable as the first one. i forgot i had read this until i read it with my brother.
~
but it was still a fun read.
August 19, 2013
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back tells the story of the mischievous cat who returns to the house of Sally and her brother on a wintery, snowy day. The story begins when Sally’s mother goes to town and gives Sally and her brother the task of shovelling the snow. However, it is not long until the cat in the hat turns up and lets himself into their house. The book explains the journey Sally and her brother go through to remove the trace of the cat in the hat from their house before their mother returns. When the cat offers to clean up his mess, more and more problems arise. Can Sally and her brother get the house clean and shovel the snow or will the cat in the hat continue to make more mess?
Dr Seuss is a brilliant author and this book is ideal for children in Key Stage 1 who are just beginning to read on their own. Throughout the book, Dr Seuss uses a variety of language techniques such as rhyme, rhythm and repetition to help the child to read and build their confidence. He also introduces children to onomatopoeias such as ‘CRACK’ and ‘POP’ to help them visualise what is happening at that point in the story.
As well as the above features, Dr Seuss builds on knowledge the child may already have. When the cleaning task becomes too much for the cat in the hat, he lifts off his hat and reveals a little cat in the hat called A. A then goes on to remove his hat to reveal little cat B and so on until little cat Z is revealed. Naming the cats in the order of the alphabet is a clever technique Dr Seuss uses and this can be used to reiterate the alphabet to the children. Secondly, when the cat in the hat uses Sally’s Dad’s shoes to clean the pink stain off the wall, Sally’s brother responds by saying that it is ‘very bad news’, that he is using his Dad’s £7 shoes. This is introducing children to the concept of money and numbers and could be used as a discussion point within the lesson.
I feel this book could be enjoyed by both children and adults.
Dr Seuss is a brilliant author and this book is ideal for children in Key Stage 1 who are just beginning to read on their own. Throughout the book, Dr Seuss uses a variety of language techniques such as rhyme, rhythm and repetition to help the child to read and build their confidence. He also introduces children to onomatopoeias such as ‘CRACK’ and ‘POP’ to help them visualise what is happening at that point in the story.
As well as the above features, Dr Seuss builds on knowledge the child may already have. When the cleaning task becomes too much for the cat in the hat, he lifts off his hat and reveals a little cat in the hat called A. A then goes on to remove his hat to reveal little cat B and so on until little cat Z is revealed. Naming the cats in the order of the alphabet is a clever technique Dr Seuss uses and this can be used to reiterate the alphabet to the children. Secondly, when the cat in the hat uses Sally’s Dad’s shoes to clean the pink stain off the wall, Sally’s brother responds by saying that it is ‘very bad news’, that he is using his Dad’s £7 shoes. This is introducing children to the concept of money and numbers and could be used as a discussion point within the lesson.
I feel this book could be enjoyed by both children and adults.
January 23, 2021
I didn't even know that The Cat in the Hat had gone away, let alone come back ... but here he is again!
And he comes back to snowy times with Sally and her brother attempting to clear the snow away. When he appears Sally tells her brother not to talk to him because he 'plays lots of bad tricks'. The Cat lives up to form with a variety of naughty doings beginning with rushing into the house and getting in the bath with a huge cake to eat. Sally and her brother are annoyed and let the water out but when it has gone down the plug hole, there is a nasty pink ring around the bath.
Sally's brother wonders if it will ever come off but the Cat soon solves that problem by using the children's mother's white dress to remove the pink ring. But the dress is then spotted with pink. Sally sees the dress and panics but the Cat soon solves that problem by hitting the dress against the wall. The pink comes off but transfers itself to the wall.
There follows a variety of escapades with the Cat removing the pink each time but transferring it every time to something else equally troublesome. It was on shoes, a rug, the bed covers and when on the last named the Cat is puzzled how he is going to ever remove it. Fortunately under that huge hat he has a whole host of smaller cats, all lettered A to Z.
All these cats pitch in with the Cat to remove the pink but it is not easy and they end up with the snow completely pink. But Cat Z, who is so small he can't be seen, has something called Voom under his hat and the Cat explains that Voom cleans up anything. And, oh boy! What a VOOM! The Cat doesn't know what it really is but he does know that it clears snow and with that he, and his little helpers, depart saying, 'I will be very happy/To come here again ...'
Oh, no, surely not ... but if he does Dr Seuss will surely have it documented somewhere!
And he comes back to snowy times with Sally and her brother attempting to clear the snow away. When he appears Sally tells her brother not to talk to him because he 'plays lots of bad tricks'. The Cat lives up to form with a variety of naughty doings beginning with rushing into the house and getting in the bath with a huge cake to eat. Sally and her brother are annoyed and let the water out but when it has gone down the plug hole, there is a nasty pink ring around the bath.
Sally's brother wonders if it will ever come off but the Cat soon solves that problem by using the children's mother's white dress to remove the pink ring. But the dress is then spotted with pink. Sally sees the dress and panics but the Cat soon solves that problem by hitting the dress against the wall. The pink comes off but transfers itself to the wall.
There follows a variety of escapades with the Cat removing the pink each time but transferring it every time to something else equally troublesome. It was on shoes, a rug, the bed covers and when on the last named the Cat is puzzled how he is going to ever remove it. Fortunately under that huge hat he has a whole host of smaller cats, all lettered A to Z.
All these cats pitch in with the Cat to remove the pink but it is not easy and they end up with the snow completely pink. But Cat Z, who is so small he can't be seen, has something called Voom under his hat and the Cat explains that Voom cleans up anything. And, oh boy! What a VOOM! The Cat doesn't know what it really is but he does know that it clears snow and with that he, and his little helpers, depart saying, 'I will be very happy/To come here again ...'
Oh, no, surely not ... but if he does Dr Seuss will surely have it documented somewhere!
January 22, 2021
For a long while, my son chose The Cat in the Hat as his book of choice on a daily basis before bed. Exhausted by repetition, he finally accepted the sequel into his binge sessions, which is only good in that I am not reading the same thing.
Which would be fine except this book chafes my cogs!
The plot is basically the kids from book 1 shoveling snow around their house. Mom is absent, again. Father - no where to be found, but we do see some of his tacky belongings this time.
In the meantime, an unwelcomed Cat in the Hat comes by and leaves some sort of toxic pink stain from his mutant fur in this poor family's tub. The only supposed way to remove this stain is by transferring it to randomsauce items one after another. At one point, the stain is in a pot of milk. Dump it down the sink - PROBLEM SOLVED.
But oh, wait, the stain is in the snow now? And it has somehow spread exponentially? Cool. Better unleash 26 progressively smaller Cats in Hats and see if they can rectify the problem.
The gimmick in this book is letters: Cat in the Hat has a cat in his hat for each letter of the alphabet. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are apparently not up to this insane task. The fish must have died after the events of book 1, which is a shame, because my fish voice has been perfected to canon. Goodness, he was probably rolling over in his grave from this book's antics.
After a bunch of violent nonsense with some harsh shut-downs from the cat, Little Cat Z unleashes the VOOM, which is perhaps the most visually appealing page of a Seuss book.
And then the book just kind of ends.
Which would be fine except this book chafes my cogs!
The plot is basically the kids from book 1 shoveling snow around their house. Mom is absent, again. Father - no where to be found, but we do see some of his tacky belongings this time.
In the meantime, an unwelcomed Cat in the Hat comes by and leaves some sort of toxic pink stain from his mutant fur in this poor family's tub. The only supposed way to remove this stain is by transferring it to randomsauce items one after another. At one point, the stain is in a pot of milk. Dump it down the sink - PROBLEM SOLVED.
But oh, wait, the stain is in the snow now? And it has somehow spread exponentially? Cool. Better unleash 26 progressively smaller Cats in Hats and see if they can rectify the problem.
The gimmick in this book is letters: Cat in the Hat has a cat in his hat for each letter of the alphabet. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are apparently not up to this insane task. The fish must have died after the events of book 1, which is a shame, because my fish voice has been perfected to canon. Goodness, he was probably rolling over in his grave from this book's antics.
After a bunch of violent nonsense with some harsh shut-downs from the cat, Little Cat Z unleashes the VOOM, which is perhaps the most visually appealing page of a Seuss book.
And then the book just kind of ends.
July 24, 2022
Mejor que el anterior
December 12, 2022
《هو الحق》
من نسخهی دو زبانهی کتاب رو فکر کنم از نشر افق یا پیدایش برای یکی از بچههای فامیل گرفتم. قبل از هدیه دادن خودم هم خوندمش.
کتاب شامل یک متن کوتاه و داستانی جالب میشد که شامل آموزش اعداد و حروف الفبای انگلیسی هم بود.
چند روز پیش مامان اون بچه رو دیدم و گفت کتاب رو خوندن و پسرش از کتاب خوشش اومده.
پ.ن: نسخهای که من خریدم مال دهه ۸۰ بود، توی انبار کتابفروشی مونده بود و من اتفاقی توی سایتشون پیداش کردم، فکر کنم الان دیگه چاپ تمامه.
من نسخهی دو زبانهی کتاب رو فکر کنم از نشر افق یا پیدایش برای یکی از بچههای فامیل گرفتم. قبل از هدیه دادن خودم هم خوندمش.
کتاب شامل یک متن کوتاه و داستانی جالب میشد که شامل آموزش اعداد و حروف الفبای انگلیسی هم بود.
چند روز پیش مامان اون بچه رو دیدم و گفت کتاب رو خوندن و پسرش از کتاب خوشش اومده.
پ.ن: نسخهای که من خریدم مال دهه ۸۰ بود، توی انبار کتابفروشی مونده بود و من اتفاقی توی سایتشون پیداش کردم، فکر کنم الان دیگه چاپ تمامه.
March 3, 2015
March 2, 2015 ... re-read in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.
January 7, 2018
The cat in the hat is back with twenty-six other cats in hats and a voom, to wreak more havoc around the house before cleaning up after themselves.
A nice sequel to the original.
A nice sequel to the original.
November 25, 2021
I did the Cat in the Hat Readathon at a children's party
I like the original the best, although this as fun.
I like the original the best, although this as fun.
February 4, 2025
The tiny cats were great, though I missed the fish and his sense. Also, I love the Voom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 830 reviews