Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat who shows them some tricks and games.

Two children sitting at home on a rainy day meet the cat in the hat who shows them some tricks and games.

Racism is resilient, duplicitous, and endlessly adaptable, so it is no surprise that America is again in a period of civil rights activism. A significant reason racism endures is because it is structural: it's embedded in culture and in institutions. One of the places that racism hides-and thus perhaps the best place to oppose it-is books for young people. Was the Cat in the Hat Black? presents five serious critiques of the history and current state of children's literature tempestuous relationship with both implicit and explicit forms of racism. The book fearlessly examines topics both vivid-such as The Cat in the Hat's roots in blackface minstrelsy-and more opaque, like how the children's book industry can perpetuate structural racism via whitewashed covers even while making efforts to increase diversity. Rooted in research yet written with a lively, crackling touch, Nel delves into years of literary criticism and recent sociological data in order to show a better way forward. Though much of what is proposed here could be endlessly argued, the knowledge that what we learn in childhood imparts both subtle and explicit lessons about whose lives matter is not debatable. The text concludes with a short and stark proposal of actions everyone-reader, author, publisher, scholar, citizen- can take to fight the biases and prejudices that infect children's literature. While Was the Cat in the Hat Black? does not assume it has all the answers to such a deeply systemic problem, its audacity should stimulate discussion and activism.

The riotously funny follow-up to The Cat in the Hat! The Cat is back—along with some surpise friends—in this beloved Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss. Dick and Sally have no time to play. It's winter and they have mountains of snow to shovel. So when the Cat comes to visit, he decides to go inside and to take a bath. No problem, right? Wrong! The pink ring he leaves in the tub creates is a very BIG pink problem when he transfers the stubborn stain from the bath onto Mother's white dress, Dad's shoes, the floors, the walls, and ultimately, over the entire yard full of snow! Will the kids EVER clean up the mess? You bet they will, with some help from the Cat and his helpers: 26 miniature cats (AKA Little Cats A-Z) who live inside the Cat's hat! This classic Dr. Seuss story is the perfect choice for beginning readers and read-alouds, especially on snow days! Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read! Launched by Dr. Seuss in 1957 with the publication of The Cat in the Hat, this beloved early reader series motivates children to read on their own by using simple words with illustrations that give clues to their meaning. Featuring a combination of kid appeal, supportive vocabulary, and bright, cheerful art, Beginner Books will encourage a love of reading in children ages 3–7.

A Seussian celebration of simple math concepts--perfect for the 100th Day of School and fans of The Cat in the Hat! The Cat in the Hat spends the 100th Day of School visiting Sally and Dick's classroom to show how some simple tools--including a hundreds chart, ten frame, number line, and 100 silly hats--make it easy and fun to count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide. While this is a natural choice for celebrating the 100th Day of School, The 100 Hats of the Cat in the Hat is perfect for anyone, anytime, who wants to nurture a beginning reader's interest in numbers! Fans of the hit PBS show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! will be delighted at this new addition to the Learning Library series.

Colorful pictures and sentences explain word meanings.