New Initiatives Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

To commemorate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, together with Random House Children’s Books, the publishing home of Dr. Seuss books, is introducing new ways to honor the author’s classic characters and stories through a variety of events, merchandise, partnerships and more.

Every year on March 2, millions of educators, booksellers, parents and children across the U.S. participate in a celebration of reading and literacy. Target, Barnes & Noble, Party City, buybuy BABY and independent bookstores across the country will be hosting Dr. Seuss reading events leading up to the birthday. Events at Target, Barnes & Noble, Party City and buybuy BABY will be hosted in stores on Saturday, February 29.

Additionally, Meet the Cat!, a 16-stop Cat in the Hat costume tour, will be taking place in late February/early March, making stops at bookstores across the country. In collaboration with the studio Sugar Creative, Dr. Seuss Enterprises will launch the first in a series of augmented reality (AR) apps set to enhance the way children learn to read. The first app in the series is Dr. Seuss’s ABC—An Amazing AR Alphabet!, based on the bestselling book Dr. Seuss’s ABC, and will allow children to learn their ABCs in a fun, engaging and unexpected way.

The third annual Dr. Seuss Word Challenge will track the number of books being read by kids across the country. Parents, caregivers and educators can submit the number of Dr. Seuss books their child has read during the sweepstakes week by visiting DrSeussChallenge.com. Daily prizes, as well as a grand prize, will be awarded. The sweepstakes kicks off on March 2 and runs through March 6.

Several of Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ leading licensee partners will be launching limited edition Seussian product lines in honor of the birthday that feature beloved characters and Dr. Seuss’s original artwork. This includes a line of whimsical baby and toddler apparel (Target/target.com), costumes and accessories available on elope.com, a full line of Dr. Seuss classroom décor from Eureka School, ornate figurines from JimShore.com, party supplies and decorations with Oriental Trading, Hanna Andersson kid and toddler pajamas and apparel and a new collection of socks, t-shirts and underwear by Stance.

“This annual holiday celebrates how Dr. Seuss books and characters infuse learning with fun, while also giving people of all ages an opportunity to express their love of the Dr. Seuss brand in creative and new ways,” said Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Dr. Seuss’s birthday is a great time to celebrate reading and literacy by taking a moment out of your day to read to a child.”

“There is no better time to celebrate a love of books and reading than on Dr. Seuss’s birthday,” says Mallory Loehr, senior VP and publisher at Random House Books for Young Readers Group. “We are always thrilled to be a part of the festivities that surround this day and are proud to be the publisher of Dr. Seuss’s unforgettable stories that generations of readers continue to enjoy.”