Dr. Seuss's 'What Pet Should I Get?' is the Fastest-Selling Picture Book in Random House Children's Books History
New York, NY — In its first week on sale, which began on July 28, WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? sold 200,000 copies, making it the fastest-selling picture book in Random House Children’s Books history, and across all picture-book titles this year, it was announced today by Barbara Marcus, President & Publisher.
“We are so pleased with the tremendous sales for WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? across North America, and the reports from many booksellers that it was their biggest-selling title, adult or children’s, last week,” says Marcus. “This picture book treasure now sits prominently among the fastest selling picture books of all time—and we couldn’t be prouder to share it with readers everywhere.”
“We are thrilled with the response to WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?,” says Susan Brandt, President, Licensing & Marketing, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. “Dr. Seuss was passionate about the idea that learning to read should be fun, and we know he would be overjoyed to see this book reaching and inspiring a new generation in just that way, yet again.”
In celebration of the book’s publication, Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are pleased to announce a social media campaign that will support the work of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to help animals in need across the country.
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) loved animals. His body of work—with 650 million copies of his books sold worldwide in 17 languages and 95 countries—is filled with creatures of all kinds (including one very special Cat), and he kept and cared for animals throughout his life. His first “pet” was a brown stuffed toy dog that he named Theophrastus and had for the rest of his life.
The social campaign on behalf of WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? celebrates Ted’s love for animals, and calls for all pet owners nationwide to share a photo of their pets, tagging it with the #whatpet campaign hashtag. For every photo shared on Twitter or Instagram with #whatpet, Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises will donate one dollar to the ASPCA®, up to the first 15,000 photos.
WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? captures the excitement of a classic childhood moment—choosing a pet—and uses it to illuminate a life lesson: that it is hard to make a decision, but that sometimes you just have to do it. The book features the brother and sister characters that Dr. Seuss introduced in One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.
The audiobook was released simultaneously on July 28, and is narrated by Emmy Award–winning actor Rainn Wilson.
An afterword in WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? discusses the book’s discovery and publication story, the history of pets in Dr. Seuss’s life, and the importance of pet adoption and animal care in today’s world.
“We are grateful to team up with Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises to shine a light on the importance of pet adoption and the bond between people and pets,” says Christina Wyman, Director of Strategic Cause Partnerships for the ASPCA®. “This is a wonderful opportunity to remind readers that no matter what type of pet you get, pet adoption is always the best option.”
“When Dr. Seuss wrote WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? over fifty years ago, the dialogue about pet adoption did not exist as it does today. Knowing Ted’s fondness for animals and how they are featured throughout his books, it is no surprise to us that he wrote a story about two siblings trying to choose a pet for their family to love,” says Mallory Loehr, Vice President, Publishing Director, Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group. “We couldn’t be more excited to encourage pet owners to share their love of pets with us, and to work with the ASPCA® to further motivate everyone to raise pets safely and lovingly in a forever home.”
A landing page at www.WhatPet.com will aggregate all appropriate posts with the #whatpet hashtag from Twitter and Instagram.
About Dr. Seuss
Theodor “Seuss” Geisel is quite simply one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time. His long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors for McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, andBartholomew and the Oobleck, the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys, and a Peabody. Geisel wrote and illustrated 45 books during his lifetime, and his books have sold more than 650 million copies worldwide. Though Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading. For more information about Dr. Seuss and his works, visit Seussville.com.
Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from boar
d books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House is the longtime home of the beloved and bestselling Dr. Seuss books, which continue to make learning to read fun for millions of children everywhere. The company’s website, Kids@Random (randomhousekids.com), offers an array of activities, games, and educational resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
d books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House is the longtime home of the beloved and bestselling Dr. Seuss books, which continue to make learning to read fun for millions of children everywhere. The company’s website, Kids@Random (randomhousekids.com), offers an array of activities, games, and educational resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
About Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
The primary focus of the Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. is to protect the integrity of the Dr. Seuss books while expanding beyond books into ancillary areas. This effort is a strategic part of the overall mission to nurture and safeguard the relationship consumers have with Dr. Seuss characters. Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) said he never wanted to license his characters to anyone who would “round out the edges.” That is one of the guiding philosophies of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Audrey S. Geisel, the widow of Dr. Seuss, heads Dr. Seuss Enterprises as CEO.
About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach, and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach, and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
