NEW YORK, NY — Earlier this year, Dr. Seuss’s beloved character the Cat in the Hat declared his candidacy for president of the United States (
CatInHat4Prez.com, #CatInHat4Prez, @catinhat4prez), and the results of his campaign are in! The Cat ran as the Kids’ Candidate, teaching kids that every vote counts and every voice matters. Votes were cast by kids across America for the Cat in the Hat to work with one of his supporters and their selected charitable cause, and the winner, First Book, was announced today by Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise based in Washington, D.C., that has distributed more than 150 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families. Together, Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises will be making a $10,000 donation to First Book for the kid-voted election win. Each cause on the voting ballot was linked to a related organization, allowing kids the opportunity to vote for:
“We are thrilled to share this exciting news today, and we know that Dr. Seuss would be ecstatic to see the Cat in the Hat encouraging children nationwide to exercise their voice and right to vote, and to celebrate their selection of First Book. First Book’s mission to have equal access to quality education for children in need across the country aligns wonderfully with Dr. Seuss’s lifelong passion for igniting a love of reading in kids,” says Susan Brandt, President, Licensing and Marketing, Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P.
“This was a spirited and terrific competition! We had a great time working with our supporters across the country and around the world, including our network of devoted educators who showed their support for reading and educational equality with their votes in the Cat in the Hat for President challenge,” said Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO, First Book. “We are honored to have been among five incredibly worthwhile causes that highlight what all of us can do to help make a better world: advance education, fight hunger, support the environment, and promote kindness. Thank you to all the kids across the country who made their voices heard.”
The announcement of the Cat in the Hat for President campaign arrived with the release of a new book in the Cat in the Hat Learning Library, ONE VOTE, TWO VOTES, I VOTE, YOU VOTE (On sale July 26, 2016 / Ages 5–8 / Random House Books for Young Readers). In the latest addition to this collection of nonfiction books for beginning readers, the Cat in the Hat uses simple rhymes to introduce early readers to the concept and practice of voting, with a focus on the American presidency. Readers learn the basic principles of democracy, how political parties are made, why Election Day is held in early November, and much, much more.
In addition to the nationwide voting campaign, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Amazon partnered on special election-themed Cat in the Hat merchandise, including shirts, hats, and bookmarks, and Amazon has made an additional $10,000 donation to First Book for the win.
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, and Bartholomew 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.
About Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
The primary focus of 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 Random House Children’s Books
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 board 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 First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 150 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
