A new Dr. Seuss book was released on Tuesday to excited fans, more than 20 years after the La Jolla author died.
“What Pet Should I Get?” hit bookshelves nationwide, and at University of California San Diego’s Geisel Library, throngs of fans lined up to get their copy.
The author’s widow discovered the manuscript for the book in 2013 when she was donating some of his drawings to the library; it’s believed to have been written sometime between 1958 and 1962.
The book follows a brother and sister who visit a pet store to pick a pet, but aren’t able to decide on just one. It was colored by Dr. Seuss’ assistant, who collaborated with him on “Oh, the Places You Will Go.”
At Geisel Library, 100 books were available; the book is available for purchase at bookstores across the country and online.
Brian Schottlaender, the university’s librarian, said the excitement at Tuesday’s book launch party was evidence of the impact the books have had on multiple generations.
“Two or three generations of children have grown up on the classic Dr. Seuss books,” he said. “To have a new classic you can read to your kids or your grandkids is just a pretty awesome thing.”
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Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, died in 1991. He and his wife, Audrey Geisel, were longtime La Jolla residents and made a number of contributions to UC San Diego.
