A new children’s book by iconic author-illustrator Theodor Geisel (1904-1991) will hit shelves this fall, as Random House Children’s Books has announced the publication of Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum on September 3, 2019 in an initial 250,000 copy printing. The news was announced Friday by Mallory Loehr, SVP, Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers; and Susan Brandt, President, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum is a celebration of art and how we all see the world in different ways, told by an affable horse guiding a group of students on a tour of an art museum. The original manuscript was discovered in Geisel’s home in La Jolla 21 years after his death, alongside the manuscript for 2015 No. 1 New York Times bestseller What Pet Should I Get?
Taking inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s original sketches, acclaimed illustrator Andrew Joyner has completed the unfinished artwork. Joyner’s whimsical illustrations are combined throughout with full-color photographic reproductions of famous horse artwork by Pablo Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock and many others. Classic Dr. Seuss characters (including Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and Horton the Elephant) make cameos throughout this unique book.
A Publisher’s Note at the end of the book discusses the discovery of the manuscript and sketches, Geisel’s fascination with modern art, the process of creating the book with Andrew Joyner, and information about each of the artists and art reproductions in the book.
Dr. Seuss’s former art director, Cathy Goldsmith, now President & Publisher of Beginner Books, is overseeing the preparation for publication. Goldsmith is the one remaining publishing executive at Random House to have worked directly with Geisel during his lifetime, including spending time with him in La Jolla when he was finishing Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
“I remember fondly the days when Ted would come to Random House to hand-deliver his latest work, which included reading aloud to staff gathered in a conference room,” says Goldsmith. “Poring over the manuscript and Ted’s original sketches for Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum brought me right back to those days, and I continue to be so honored to bring his brilliant work to today’s young readers.”
“We’re so excited to have Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum to share with readers, and to give them an inside look at how Ted thought about art, and how he viewed the world — which was with a creative eye, and a passionate belief in imagination,” says Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ Brandt. “This new book will not only entertain as only Dr. Seuss can, but is sure to inspire conversations about the countless ways we each view the world around us. We happily expect that many children will be asking, ‘What do YOU see?’ after sitting with this latest creation by Dr. Seuss.”
