A “New” Dr. Seuss Book

A “New” Dr. Seuss Book 

Reviewed by Jerry D. Flack, Ph.D

Geisel, Theodor Seuss. Sing the 50 United States! Illus. by Tom Brannon. New York: Random House, 2026.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is one of the most beloved author-illustrators in the history of American and worldwide children’s literature. His cherished books from The Cat in the Hat to Oh, The Places You’ll Will Go! have been translated into at least 50 languages around the world. Generations of children have learned to read thanks to the zany and beloved books by Dr. Seuss.

Now, on the 250th Birthday of the United States a rare treasure has been discovered and published. In May, 2025, a Seuss scholar discovered an unpublished manuscript among 20,000 archives from the Dr. Seuss Collection at the University of California San Diego. An informative end note from the publisher describes the treasure hunt that followed this remarkable find. From a hand-written rough draft to a typed manuscript, it is clear that Dr. Seuss planned to write and illustrate “Sing the United States” using his most iconic character, The Cat in the Hat, to introduce America’s 50 state names and shapes for young readers. Artist Tom Brannon has been faithful to the delightfully lively style of Dr. Seuss illustrations and the sketches he included with the manuscript.

Sing the 50 United States! is a charming early geography lesson. The Cat in the Hat opens the narrative with a challenge:

“To sing the 50 United States you have to use your brain.”

From the “M” drawer of an alphabetized cabinet of state names and shapes, the cat chooses “Massachusetts” and “Maryland” as the first letter of their names to add to the other six states that claim the letter “M” as the first letter of their names and affixes them to a wall-sized mural map of the 50 states. (The letters “M” and “N” are the most widely used letters – eight—utilized to capitalize the 50 state names.) From other alphabetical drawers, the Cat (complete with his red hat and bow tie) hurriedly adds the four “North” and “South” state names as well the as the rhyming state names of Idaho and Ohio plus the four state names that begin with “New.” Phew!

Soon the crafty cat, aided by identical but diminutive felines, reminds in rhyming verse how much further readers need to go:

To sing the 50 United States

takes brains. It does

indeed.

We’re only up to 20

and it’s 30 more we need!

Soon, the cat moves from the U.S. mainland to discover Alaska and its rhyming partner, Nebraska. There is no time for a cat nap when the “A” states (Alabama, Arkansas, and Arizona) are added to the colorful map.

Illinois earns a two-page spread when it is celebrated. The “C” states of California, Colorado, and Connecticut follow. Wyoming, Wisconsin, Washington, and far away Hawaii cause the mighty cat to think his work is done. But, he has forgotten one. Forty-nine state names are not enough. The map cannot remain incomplete. “Oh...OH Oklahoma” finishes the map.

The overall design of the book is delightful. The colorful book cover, book jacket, and title page emphasize the delightful Cat in the Hat. The end pages feature the names and shapes of states like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When readers remove the book jacket the reverse side reveals a complete map of the 50 United States.

Sing the 50 United States! is not without its critics. Despite the key word of the title, the book does not contain a single entry of sheet music. A tuneful sing-along can be found on YouTube. The rhyming verse is stretched on some pages. Tom Brannon’s illustrations are colorful art work, especially in his portrayal of The Cat in the Hat, but overall they are not perfect replications of Dr. Seuss’s dazzling and humorous style.

Regardless of any flaws, readers of all ages will find Dr. Seuss’s fun-filled geography lesson pleasing. Older readers will find the end notes fascinating. The account of how the lost manuscript was found and developed as a new publication is particularly enlightening.

Sing the 50 United States! is a treasure as a birthday gift for 250 years of American map making.

Home and School Activities

Create a Map. Engage students in creating an atlas similar to Dr. Seuss’s manuscript for “Sing the 50 States.” Suggest that gifted readers brainstorm other place names that can be the topic or subject matter of their own collections. Suggest that talented students brainstorm other place names that can be the subject matter of their own models of Dr. Seuss’s geography lesson. Some options include major cities in the state in which they live or the states and provinces of Mexico or Canada. Other featured subjects might include National Parks and theme parks such as Disney World, or even space. Dr. Seuss targeted geography. Students can draw maps that showcase history, botany, paleontology, geology, architecture, and other disciplines. Dr. Seuss’s manuscript indicates that he planned to use The Cat in the Hat as the narrator of his book of state maps. Invite map makers to create a brand new cartoon character to oversee their own map making. Readers can expand the 50 state maps with appropriate decorations of people, places, and animals associated with each state. A drawing of a polar bear might be attached to a map of Alaska while an outline of a bust of Abraham Lincoln can be pasted on to a map of Illinois and a drawing of an automobile might be affixed to a map of Michigan.

Creative Cartography. Young readers can be very creative in their map making. They can draw “maps” of their own home or school, their neighborhood, or even their own bedroom. Maps can be metaphorical. Can creative readers create atlases of maps of their heart, a beloved pet, their own family, or even their own future? Creative maps can take many different shapes. An atlas of maps in the shape of trees can be drawn for an imaginative atlas of unique or favorite birds. Maps pulled from the shape of decorative bookshelves can serve as an atlas of the five or ten most beloved books of young readers.

Favorite Seuss Characters. The manuscript and sketches of Dr. Seuss’s “lost” book indicate that he planned to use perhaps his favorite character, The Cat in the Hat, to guide readers through the singing of the 50 states of the USA. Generations of children have learned to read thanks to the fun rhymes and delightful characters introduced by Theodor Seuss Geisel. A Seuss Hall of Fame might include Horton, the Grinch, Sam-I-am, Gerald McGrew, the Sneetches, the Things, the Lorax, and Yertle the Turtle. Engage young readers in sharing books that feature their favorite Seuss characters. Invite students to draw their own image of Seuss characters and use their own character drawings to tell a very short but funny story or to introduce favorite places to visit such as an exhilarating aquarium, museum, or zoo. Please note. This is an opportunity to discuss copyright issues related to children’s literature. Readers cannot use Dr. Seuss characters for any financial gain, fund raising projects, or prize winning without permission. 

A Place Names Atlas Tribute to Dr. Seuss. Sing the 50 United States! is an atlas of the place names and shapes that make up the 50 states of the U.S.A. The many books of Dr. Seuss exhibited his fondness for amusing word play of place names. Using outlines of world maps, invite students to pay homage to one of his most beloved books, If I Ran the Zoo (Random House, 1950). If young Gerald McGrew ran the zoo, he would search the world far and wide to find amazing beasts to populate a new zoo. He would travel to some of the most amazing places in the world such as Motta-fa-Potta-fa-Pell and the Desert of Zind. He would go to the African island of Yerka and to a cave in Kartoom. The Mountains of Zomba and Tobsk plus the River of Nobsk would also be among his travels as would be the Jungles of Hippo-no-Hungus and the Island of Gwark. And, young zoo master McGrew would never pass up Ka-Troo that is inhabited by Nerds and Seersuckers. And, don’t forget Nantasket! Students can design their own versions of astonishing beasts to be found in these exotic places and amazing locations.

A Dr. Seuss Biography. Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts where his father really did run the zoo (Forest Park). He was not a particularly good student during his public school years, but he did attend and graduate from Dartmouth College where his wit was recognized by his senior year classmates. Ted (as he preferred to be called) was successful in the advertising industry, but his first children’s book manuscript was turned down by at least 27 publishers before the 28th, Vanguard Press, published And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street in 1937. He served the Army in Hollywood during World War II. His banner year was 1957 when he published The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! An excellent biography of the life of Ted Geisel is Who Was Dr. Seuss? (Penguin, 2011), one of the 250 beginning reader biographies in the Who Was?/Who Is? Penguin early reader series. Countless biographical sources are available online. Young biographers can name (and draw) their favorite characters and reveal their best-loved Dr. Seuss books. As a special challenge, urge children to include at least one passage with rhymes (e.g., blue, few, Sue, two, you, who, zoo) in their portrayals. Introduce students to rhyming dictionaries. Original illustrations are also an appropriate addition to student-written biographies.