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Imagine That!

How Dr. Seuss Wrote The Cat in the Hat

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
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Hardcover
$17.99 US
8.81"W x 11.31"H x 0.34"D   | 15 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Sep 12, 2017 | 48 Pages | 9780553510973
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile AD600L | Fountas & Pinnell Q
A lively new picture-book biography of the most beloved children’s book author of all time: Dr. Seuss!

Have you ever wondered how the great Dr. Seuss wrote his most famous book? Did you know that for The Cat in the Hat, he wasn’t allowed to make up the fun words he was known for—like OOBLECK and IT-KUTCH and HIPPO-NO-HUNGUS? He was only allowed to use words from a very strict list!
 
This bouncy account of the early career of Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Ted Geisel) proves that sometimes limitations can be the best inspiration of all.
 
Kid-friendly prose (with Seussian rhyme for Ted’s dialogue) and whimsical illustrations by award winner Kevin Hawkes recall the work of Dr. Seuss himself. Writing tips from Dr. Seuss and exclusive letters from the author and illustrator, detailing how they created this book, are included!

  • NOMINEE | 2019
    Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Master List
"Buoyantly told, rich in insights into the creative process as well as the crafts of writing, illustrating, and storytelling."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"It’s an engrossing and amusing glimpse of creativity in action and the making of a children’s book classic."—Publishers Weekly starred review
Judy Sierra is the acclaimed author of more than forty picture books, including the award-winning Wild About Books; ZooZical; Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf; The Sleepy Little Alphabet; Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur; and Everyone Counts. Her writing for children is enriched by her work as a puppeteer, storyteller, and folklore scholar. Judy lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. You can visit her at JudySierraBooks.com. View titles by Judy Sierra
Kevin Hawkes is the author and illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, and is the illustrator of many well-loved books for young readers including Imagine That:! How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat, Library Lion, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, My Little Sister Hugged an Ape, And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends, The Road to OzVelma Gratch, and The Way Cool Butterfly. He lives in Gorham, Maine. View titles by Kevin Hawkes

Educator Guide for Imagine That!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Classroom Activities for Imagine That!

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

A lively new picture-book biography of the most beloved children’s book author of all time: Dr. Seuss!

Have you ever wondered how the great Dr. Seuss wrote his most famous book? Did you know that for The Cat in the Hat, he wasn’t allowed to make up the fun words he was known for—like OOBLECK and IT-KUTCH and HIPPO-NO-HUNGUS? He was only allowed to use words from a very strict list!
 
This bouncy account of the early career of Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Ted Geisel) proves that sometimes limitations can be the best inspiration of all.
 
Kid-friendly prose (with Seussian rhyme for Ted’s dialogue) and whimsical illustrations by award winner Kevin Hawkes recall the work of Dr. Seuss himself. Writing tips from Dr. Seuss and exclusive letters from the author and illustrator, detailing how they created this book, are included!

Awards

  • NOMINEE | 2019
    Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Master List

Praise

"Buoyantly told, rich in insights into the creative process as well as the crafts of writing, illustrating, and storytelling."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"It’s an engrossing and amusing glimpse of creativity in action and the making of a children’s book classic."—Publishers Weekly starred review

Author

Judy Sierra is the acclaimed author of more than forty picture books, including the award-winning Wild About Books; ZooZical; Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf; The Sleepy Little Alphabet; Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur; and Everyone Counts. Her writing for children is enriched by her work as a puppeteer, storyteller, and folklore scholar. Judy lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. You can visit her at JudySierraBooks.com. View titles by Judy Sierra
Kevin Hawkes is the author and illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, and is the illustrator of many well-loved books for young readers including Imagine That:! How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat, Library Lion, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, My Little Sister Hugged an Ape, And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends, The Road to OzVelma Gratch, and The Way Cool Butterfly. He lives in Gorham, Maine. View titles by Kevin Hawkes

Additional Materials

Educator Guide for Imagine That!

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Classroom Activities for Imagine That!

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Beautiful Noise

Open this unique picture book and meet John Cage, the pioneering, inspiring composer who believed all sound—from the crash of a slamming door to the whirr of a blender to the whoosh of the wind—was music. For John Cage, music was everywhere: in the hum of the refrigerator, the screech of a garbage truck, the patter of the rain. But other people disagreed. They

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