Library of Congress
San Diego, California – A lost Dr. Seuss manuscript — featuring the Cat in the Hat and a patriotic twist — is set to be published next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The book, titled Sing the 50 United States, is the first full manuscript by Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, to be discovered in nearly a decade. Archivists at the Geisel Library at UC San Diego found the work earlier this year among a collection of the author’s papers, complete with Geisel’s handwritten notes and a rough sketch for the cover.
The new story brings the Cat in the Hat back to classrooms, this time to help young readers learn all fifty states — and maybe a little geography along the way. “To sing the 50 United States, you have to use your brain,” the Cat proclaims in a preview shared by the publisher. “Massachusetts. Minnesota. Missouri and Montana. M-i-s-s-Mississippi. Maryland! Michigan and Maine!”
Random House Children’s Books plans to publish the title on June 2, 2026, just weeks before America’s semiquincentennial celebrations, with an initial printing of 500,000 copies. New illustrations by artist Tom Brannon, drawn in Seuss’s signature style, bring the manuscript to life while preserving Geisel’s original notes on color and composition.
“Uncovering a new work from Ted is like finding a time capsule of his imagination,” said Susan Brandt, president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Sing the 50 United States celebrates his boundless creativity, genius with words, and enduring ability to inspire young readers everywhere.”
The discovery marks the first time a new Dr. Seuss manuscript has surfaced since What Pet Should I Get? was published in 2015. That book, too, was pieced together from materials found after Geisel’s death in 1991.
For generations, Dr. Seuss’s rhythmic storytelling and whimsical illustrations have been a cornerstone of American childhood. His books — from The Lorax to Green Eggs and Ham — have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and remain staples of early education.
The timing of the new release feels fitting. A quarter of a millennium after the founding of the nation, a character born in the imagination of a postwar writer will once again teach children something about what it means to be American — playful, curious, and eager to learn.
In a year when the country will be reflecting on its history, Sing the 50 United States promises a reminder of what Dr. Seuss did best: making the act of learning — whether it’s spelling, counting, or naming all fifty states — feel like an adventure.
