A Newly Discovered and Never-Before-Seen Manuscript by Dr. Seuss To Be Published by Random House Children’s Books

Authored by First Book Staff on November 4, 2025

Posted in: Press Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C., October 28, 2025 — An original manuscript and cover sketch by Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was discovered in the archives of UC San Diego’s Geisel Library, and will be published by Random House Children’s Books, it was announced today by Judith Haut, EVP, Deputy Publisher, RHCB, and Susan Brandt, President and CEO, Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE). SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! will release this summer on June 2, 2026, with a first printing of 500,000 copies.

With Dr. Seuss’s signature rhymes, rhythm, and wordplay, SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! invites readers to learn and name all fifty states together with the iconic Cat in the Hat and two Little Cat helpers. To sing the 50 United States, you have to use your brain. Massachusetts. Minnesota. Missouri and Montana. M-i-s-s-Mississippi. Maryland! Michigan and Maine! This addition to the Seuss canon will include excerpts and sketches from Geisel’s original manuscript and a map of the United States beneath the book jacket.

The manuscript was found earlier this year among archival materials preserved by DSE at the Geisel Library at UC San Diego. In addition to the complete text, Dr. Seuss left behind a cover sketch and notes on the overall art direction. Brand-new illustrations for SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! were completed by popular children’s book artist Tom Brannon, in Dr. Seuss’s style.

In celebration of this launch, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books are teaming up with First Book to spread learning and joy nationwide through a backpack build reaching classrooms in all 50 states. Every participating student will receive a backpack packed with SING THE 50 UNITED STATES!, other beloved Dr. Seuss titles, and essential school supplies. The initiative will feature a special Washington, D.C., celebration during the 2026 back-to-school season.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises will also release a special music video for the Dr. Seuss YouTube channel. SING THE 50 STATES! is the first full manuscript written by Dr. Seuss to be discovered since the posthumous release of What Pet Should I Get? in 2015.
Dr. Seuss’s legacy continues to grow worldwide—inspiring and creating new readers year after year, with classic titles remaining atop bestseller lists, fresh new publishing for every age and stage, new licensing, and television and film adaptations with both Netflix and Warner Bros. Pictures. Anticipation is building for the major new The Cat in the Hat animated film, set to release in November 2026.

“Uncovering a new work from Ted is like finding a time capsule of his imagination,” says Brandt. “SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! celebrates his boundless creativity, genius with words, and enduring ability to inspire young readers everywhere. We’re honored to share this new Dr. Seuss treasure with readers across America during such a meaningful milestone year.”

“Finding an original Dr. Seuss story is something we dream of,” says Haut, who oversees Dr. Seuss Publishing at RHCB.

“SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! releasing in time for America’s 250th birthday makes for such a notable cultural and publishing moment, and we are so excited for young readers and their families to enjoy a special storytime together—a true hallmark of what makes Dr. Seuss books so enduring today.”

About First Book
Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. It works to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of its work are the 600,000+ members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children living in low-income communities across North America. This Network is the key to creating lasting change. Through its research arm, First Book Research & Insights, it conducts studies that aggregate the voices of the Network to identify challenges, needs, and solutions. To address their needs, it provides free and low-cost books, resources and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support their work. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at firstbook.org and visit the award-winning eCommerce website at fbmarketplace.org. 

Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson. As of April 1, 2020, Bertelsmann is full owner of the company. With more than 300 imprints and brands on six continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital English-German-and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With over 15,000 new titles, and more than 600 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House’s publishing lists include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors