Monday, April 20, 2015

What Pet Should I Get? By Dr. Seuss; Book News!



Dr. Seuss fans, have you heard the news? 
Random House Children’s Books increases first printing
for new Dr. Seuss book, WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? to 1 million copies. First printing rises due to response to announcement news

Per Random House:

New York, NY (April 20, 2015)—On the heels of the February news of a new Dr. Seuss picture book coming this summer, Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), in partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, announced it will increase the first printing for WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? (by Dr. Seuss / On sale July 28, 2015 / Random House Books for Young Readers) from 500,000 to 1 million copies in order to meet the demand for the new book, shared today by Barbara Marcus, President & Publisher, RHCB.

On February 18, Random House Children’s Books announced the discovery of the original unpublished manuscript for WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?—news that was enthusiastically and widely embraced across the country. Yesterday officially marked the 100-day countdown to the publication of the first original new Dr. Seuss book since the publication of the last book of Dr. Seuss’s career, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! in 1990. 

The consumer response to the announcement of the discovery and forthcoming publication of WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? was immediate. In the first 24 hours following the news, there were 122.5 million impressions on Twitter, and in the 24 hours following, that number increased to over 200 million. Pre-order numbers began climbing instantly and continue to rise. 

“We were absolutely overjoyed to see the response to WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? from every corner of the book world—the bookselling community, media, educators, and readers nationwide,” says Marcus. “A new book by a publishing legend like Dr. Seuss is an extraordinary event, and we are delighted to announce an increased first printing to 1 million copies, to match the incredible support and pre-orders we are seeing. We know that readers everywhere are eager to see this new and exciting book.”

“It is an honor for us to carry on Ted’s legend with WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?— a story that we know will be treasured by the very youngest to the oldest of Dr. Seuss fans,” says Susan Brandt, President, Licensing and Marketing, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.  “Ted loved and had pets himself, as a young boy on up through adulthood, and that makes the wonderful excitement and buzz for this new book all the more special.”

Follow Dr. Seuss Books on Facebook (Facebook.com/DrSeussBooks) for the 100-day countdown campaign to the July 28 book release, featuring facts and artwork from each title in the Dr. Seuss canon, as well as exclusive art reveals from WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? Follow the conversation on Twitter via #whatpet.

(Inside art)

WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? captures the excitement of a classic childhood moment—choosing a pet—and features the brother and sister characters that Dr. Seuss drew in One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss’s former Art Director, Cathy Goldsmith, now VP & Associate Publishing Director, Random House Books for Young Readers, is overseeing the meticulous editorial and creative process of preparing WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? for publication. Goldsmith is the only publishing executive still at Random House to have worked directly with Ted Geisel during his lifetime, including spending time with him in La Jolla when he was finishing Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Listening Library will release an audio edition set of WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? (narrator to be announced), paired with One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish narrated by David Hyde Pierce, simultaneously with the hardcover.


WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?
By Dr. Seuss / On sale July 28, 2015 / Random House Books for Young Readers
Hardcover Picture Book: 978-0-553-52426-0

Audio
WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? (narrator to come) and 
ONE FISH TWO FISH RED FISH BLUE FISH (narrated by David Hyde Pierce)
On sale July 28, 2015 / Listening Library
Audio CD: 9780147522122, $9.99 / Audio Download: 9780147522139, $7.00


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 PoolIf 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 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.

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 Listening Library
Since publishing its first audiobook in 1955, Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, Listening Library has grown into one of the biggest names in the youth audio industry. Listening Library titles have earned more than 300 ALSC and YALSA Audiobook Awards, 14 Odyssey Awards, 17 Audie® Awards, and two Grammy® Awards with bestselling series like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. Our backlist also includes audio recordings of dozens of Newbery and Printz award-winning authors, including Kate DiCamillo and Christopher Paul Curtis. Listening Library is an imprint of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.


I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~