Reason to celebrate! New Dr. Seuss book arrives Tuesday.new

Reason to celebrate! New Dr. Seuss book arrives Tuesday

                       A new book by Dr. Seuss, What Pet Should I Get?" hits stores Tuesday. (Dr. Seuss)

How often does the arrival of a book actually elicit applause?

I don't mean from the author (which in this case would be impossible). But from the public?

A new book by Dr. Seuss, Theodore Seuss Geisel who died in 1991, hits stores Tuesday. When I heard, I involuntary did a little happy dance. Had it not been so reflexive, it would have been a huge happy dance.

Anyone who has ever loved a Dr. Seuss book, -- which likely includes all who can get through the alphabet – should be rejoicing right about now. People may pull it apart, find things to hate about it. There are Grinches in the world.

Yet "What Pet Should I Get?" is nothing short of delightful. It is pure Seuss, not Seuss light.

01_InteriorArt01_WhatPetShouldIGet.jpgA brother and sister go to a pet store to buy a pet and what they find is a mystery.Dr. Seuss

A brother and sister, the same duo featured in "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" visit a pet store to find a pet.

And like the very best of Seuss, this one teaches a lesson, subtle though it may be.

Their father has told them they may pick one, and they need to be home by noon.

So they have a mission and a deadline.

Yes, these were the days when children could actually go someplace on their own. The bigger shocker was that the children were making a decision – a huge decision – on their own.

And that is his lesson.

The refrain in the book is "Make Up Your Mind."

Learning how to decide is a wonderful skill, an important one that is not spoken about much. Seuss takes it on in his imitable way.

And that is what makes this book completely wonderful; it is vintage, pure Seuss. He was a well-known perfectionist and would work on books, rewriting and rewriting; working on a manual typewriter then using cellophane tape to attach his copy to his drawings.

This book was created in the late 1950s or early 1960s and put away. When he died, his wife and his assistant boxed up a lot of materials as they prepared the house for a renovation. When it was found a couple of years ago, the assistant called Seuss' long time editor at Random House.

She flew out to California to see the material, which was done with the exception of some pages requiring coloring. Having worked as a designer and with Seuss for so long, she worked in the palette designed for him.

The result is a magnificent piece of work, his eighth book published posthumously and reason to dance.

Barnes and Noble stores throughout New Jersey, including the one in Holmdel, are planning special readings of the new book on Tuesday. (Please check with your local store.)