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Millions of children and adults love Dr. Seuss books but now old manuscripts are being discovered. Today, Random House Children’s Books stated that a newly discovered manuscript containing multiple Dr. Seuss sketches will be published. The book is titled “What Pet Should I Get” and reportedly, the publication date is set for July 28.
In addition to this book, Random House said that at minimum, two additional books will be published. Those books were based on material discovered in 2013 by the author of the Dr. Seuss books widow. Audrey Geisel along with Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel’s secretary. The manuscripts were uncovered in the couple’s upscale La Jolla California home.
Following Theodor death in 1991 at 87 years old, his widow decided to remodel the home. At one point, she came across a box with lots of pages of text but also sketches. The box was simply set aside and forgotten for 22 years when late in 2013, she and Claudia Prescott, Theodor’s longtime friend and secretary, cleaned out the office and rediscovered it.
As they searched through the material, the two came across all of the text and illustrations for “What Pet Should I Get”, as well as other work completed by Theodore. As imagined, when news came out that newly discovered Dr. Seuss books would be published fans across the world were thrilled.
According to Audrey, who has faithfully kept her husband’s legacy intact, said that while the finding is extraordinarily special, it is not surprising. The reason is that her husband was known for working on many projects simultaneously and would start new projects constantly. He wrote and drew all the time in order to come up with new stories for his reader base.
However, Audrey continued saying that having the “What Pet Should I Get” published this year is extremely special since it marks the 25th anniversary of Theodore’s last book publication, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”.
President of licensing and marketing of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Susan Brandt, said she was excited about the find in the couple’s La Jolla home. In a press release from Random House, Brandt said there was page after page of manuscripts and sketches carefully laid out on the big dining room table, citing the moment as being magical. Upon seeing everything, she knew the find extended well beyond a box full of sketches.
Cathy Goldsmith, associate publishing director with Random House said that it appears the manuscript for “What Pet Should I Get” was completed something between 1958 and 1962 since the same brother and sister featured in the 1960 classic “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” are depicted.
Today, three Dr. Seuss books remain among the top 50 on the USA Today’s Best Selling Books list. The newly discovered manuscripts and sketches will stay in La Jolla at the University of California at San Diego, joining the Dr. Seuss Collection in the central library, which was fondly renamed in 1995 to Geisel Library.
