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were just beginning to click with merchandising juveniles in a big way. I mean series like the Landmarks and the All-Abouts and the Babar the Elephant and Black Stallion books. When Dr. Seuss hit the big time, of course, Random House was off and running.

After several of the Dr. Seuss books, Horton Hatches the Egg and other big sellers, one after the other, suddenly Ted wrote the book that broke the whole cake wide open, a priceless gem called The Cat in the Hat.

Weren't they published in the late forties?

The Cat in the Hat was originally published to be used as a text by Houghton Mifflin, who had some idea for an educational series and got Ted Geisel to do one. It was The Cat in the Hat. Ted said, “My trade publisher's Random House and I want them to do the trade edition.” They were quite agreeable to this. It never did catch on in those days as a school book. It was too different for a lot of teachers, who still don't like Dr. Seuss. Many old-fogey librarians don't, either. This is why I have nothing but contempt for the Newberry and Caldecot Committees. They have never given a medal to Ted Geisel...never.

In fact, I spoke at the American Library Association convention one time. I outraged them. I told them, “You have these committees of librarians. Most of the people on the committees are about ninety years old and haven't talked to a