Beginner Books
| File:The Cat in the Hat logo.svg The Cat in the Hat, the brand's logo | |
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Phyllis Cerf, Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Helen Palmer Geisel |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Children's books |
| Parent | Random House |
Beginner Books is an imprint of Random House designed specifically for children aged 3 to 9. It was established in 1957 through the collaboration of Phyllis Cerf, Ted Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), and his spouse Helen Palmer Geisel. The imprint’s first publication was Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, whose iconic character also represents the brand’s logo. Cerf created a foundational vocabulary list containing 379 words, limiting each book to a maximum of 200 words, thereby pioneering a unique method for early reading development.
Beginning with just four titles in 1958, Beginner Books saw rapid growth, reaching $1 million in yearly sales by 1960. That same year, Random House acquired the imprint, reinforcing its status as the leading children's book publisher in the United States.
Authors
Numerous works under Dr. Seuss's pen name were both written and illustrated by him; when other artists provided illustrations, he used alternate pseudonyms such as Theo LeSieg or Rosetta Stone. Notable early authors included Robert Lopshire, Bennett Cerf, Al Perkins, Helen Palmer Geisel, P. D. Eastman, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Benjamin Elkin, and Marion Holland.
Illustrators
Prominent illustrators associated with the imprint were Dr. Seuss himself, P. D. Eastman, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Robert Lopshire, and Roy McKie.
List of Beginner Books
... [list continues through B-126 with selected highlights omitted for brevity] ...| ID | Title | Year released |
|---|---|---|
| B-1 | The Cat in the Hat | 1957 |
| B-2 | The Cat in the Hat Comes Back | 1958 |
| B-3 | A Fly Went By | 1958 |
| B-4 | The Big Jump and Other Stories | 1958 |
| B-5 | A Big Ball of String | 1958 (35th anniversary edition published in 1993) |
| B-6 | Sam and the Firefly | 1958 |
| B-7 | 'Going to the Moon' (U.K.) / You Will Go to the Moon | 1959 (updated 1971) |
| B-8 | Cowboy Andy | 1959 |
| B-9 | The Whales Go By | 1959 |
| B-10 | Stop that Ball! | 1959 |
| B-11 | Bennett Cerf's Book of Laughs | 1959 |
| B-12 | Ann Can Fly | 1959 |
| B-13 | 'One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish' | 1960 |
Book Club
- Grolier Book Club Beginner Book Series
- Scholastic Corporation Book Club Beginner Book Series
- Early Moments Book Club Beginner Book Series
Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners
This subseries is aimed at younger readers, designated by "BE." It features well-known titles such as The Foot Book, The Eye Book, and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. Many books are written or illustrated by Dr. Seuss, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Al Perkins, among others. Educational alignment is supported through Scholastic grade-level equivalents and Lexile scores.
BE-1 BE-2 BE-3 BE-4 ... [list continues through BE-43 with selected entries omitted] ...| ID | Title | Print status | Year released | Author | Illustrator | Grade level equivalent (Scholastic) | Lexile measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Foot Book" | 1968 | Dr. Seuss | Dr. Seuss | ||||
| "The Eye Book" | 1968/1999 | Dr. Seuss (as Theo LeSieg) | Roy McKie (later Joe Mathieu) | 140L | |||
| "The Ear Book" | 1968/2007 | Al Perkins | William O'Brian (later Henry Payne) | ||||
| "The Berenstain Bears: Inside Outside Upside Down/Inside, Outside, Upside Down" | 1968 | Stan and Jan Berenstain | (same) |
Book Club
- Grolier Bright and Early Book collection
- Scholastic Corporation Bright and Early Book collection
- Early Moments Bright and Early Book collection
Bright and Early Board Books
These are simplified adaptations of Beginner or Bright and Early Books, designed specifically for toddlers. While not individually numbered, key titles include The Alphabet Book, Are You My Mother?, Go, Dog. Go!, along with several beloved Dr. Seuss works.
Big Bright and Early Board Books
This series showcases well-known titles such as Fast Train, Slow Train, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, in addition to multiple entries from the Berenstain Bears franchise.
Bright and Early Bath Books
This line offers waterproof versions of popular books like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, broadening the selection available for early childhood consumers.
See also
External links
- Comprehensive list of the first 50 Beginner Books at Children's Picture Book Price Guide
- kids@Random (catalog download page)