February 19, 2025
Provided Image/Dr. Seuss Enterprises
People born on March 2 can claim a free copy of Dr. Seuss' 'The Cat in the Hat' or donate one to kids in need.
Anyone who shares a birthday with author Dr. Seuss can receive a gift full of "lots of good fun" thanks to a special giveaway.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, an entertainment company that promotes literacy, is giving away a personalized copy of "The Cat in the Hat" to anyone in the United States who was born on March 2. People can claim their book online at SeussPledge.com and choose to either keep it or donate it to children in need. The website currently urges users to "come back soon" for the chance to register.
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The Dr. Seuss Birthday Pledge is part of a wider celebration of reading that happens each year in schools and libraries across the country on March 2, which is Dr. Seuss' birthday. Last year, Dr. Seuss Enterprises pledged to give a free book to every child born on March 2, 2024, and offered 10,000 copies of "The Cat in the Hat." Following the popularity of that program, the company expanded its pledge to giving away up to 20,000 books to people born on that date during any year.
The books donated for the pledge will be co-funded by Random House Children's Books, the longtime publishing partner of Dr. Seuss. People who choose to keep the book for themselves will find a personalized message commemorating their birthday and encouraging them to keep reading. If someone chooses to donate the book, it will be sent to children in underserved communities through a partnership with the First Book nonprofit.
"Fostering learning and development through the joy of reading is central to our mission at Dr. Seuss Enterprises," President and CEO Susan Brandt said in a release. "The expansion of the Birthday Pledge allows us to bring Dr. Seuss books to many more readers because, 'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.'"
"The Cat in the Hat," which centers on a tall feline who entertains a pair of bored kids on a rainy day, was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss and published in 1957. It has been adapted for the screen several times, including a 1971 TV movie and a live-action film in 2003 starring Mike Myers. An animated version featuring Quinta Brunson is scheduled to premiere in 2026.
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