Deep within the quiet hallways of the Geisel Library at UC San Diego, an extensive collection of artwork and writing belonging to the late Theodor Geisel, famously known as Dr. Seuss, remains preserved. Visitors can examine original sketches for “The Cat in the Hat,” complete with handwritten margin notes for printers, or inspect a draft of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” featuring pieces of scrap paper taped on for edits. Following Geisel’s passing in 1991, his widow, Audrey Geisel, donated the vast majority of his work to the library, providing an intimate window into the mind of the iconic storyteller.
In May of last year, teams from Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Penguin Random House visited these archives while searching for marketing materials to commemorate the upcoming 70th anniversaries of “The Cat in the Hat” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” While sifting through approximately 20,000 files, they made an entirely unexpected discovery: a completed, unpublished manuscript titled “Sing the 50 United States!” Geisel had even gone as far as designing the cover art for the project.
Cat Reynolds, executive editor for Dr. Seuss Publishing and Beginner Books at Penguin Random House, described the find as a stroke of cosmic luck that allowed them to celebrate Geisel’s contribution to the American canon just in time for the America 250 commemorations. This release follows other posthumous works, such as the 2015 publication of “What Pet Should I Get?”, which was recovered from a drawer in the Geisel home in La Jolla, California, and the 2019 book “Horse Museum,” which was adapted from unrhymed sketches by illustrator Andrew Joyner.
However, “Sing the 50 United States!” proved unique due to its level of completeness. Reynolds confirmed that the manuscript was essentially perfect, noting that they did not need to alter a single punctuation mark. The book officially hit shelves on June 2, a remarkably rapid timeline given that no story edits were required. Even quirks noted by Dr. Seuss Enterprises CEO Susan Brandt, such as the awkward phrasing during the mention of Oklahoma, were kept exactly as Geisel wrote them to ensure the version remained authentic to his vision.
Completing the illustrations served as the primary task for the production team. Because Geisel left behind storyboard-style sketches, the team knew he intended the story to be led by the Cat and his assistants, the Little Cats. Illustrator Tom Brannon finished the artwork, with the team strictly adhering to the specific color palettes used in “The Cat in the Hat” and “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut.”
While the manuscript is undated, researchers know it must have been written after 1959, when Hawaii gained statehood. Lynda Corey Claasen, director of special collections and archives at the UC San Diego Library, suggests that Geisel may have intended it for the “The Cat in the Hat Songbook,” released in 1967. The drafts include specific musical cues, such as a “short worried chord” and an audio descriptor for a “groan” during the Oklahoma verse. Geisel’s archival notes also included instructions like “For children’s voices, the younger, the better.”
Brandt believes the archives hold more potential projects, including nearly finished lessons on telling time and spelling, such as “How Well Can You Spell?” This ongoing recovery process exists alongside new initiatives like Seuss Studios, which works with diverse authors to transform unpublished Geisel sketches into new stories, such as Lala Watkins’ “Hello, Sun!” By utilizing both these rare manuscripts and unfinished illustrations, the estate continues to expand the legacy of Dr. Seuss for new generations.
