- The Cat in the Hat first printings have the price "200/200" ($2.00) at the top right of the front jacket flap; the price was later cut to $1.95, so a lower flap price means a later printing.
Publisher · founded 1957 · New York City
Beginner Books
Beginner Books is the early-reader imprint founded in 1957 by Phyllis Cerf and Dr. Seuss, home of The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, owned by Random House since 1960.
- Editions tracked
- 28
- First editions
- 26
- Books
- 28
- Years
- 1960 to 1991
Beginner Books is a publisher based in New York City, founded in 1957. We track 28 editions it published between 1960 and 1991, 26 of them first editions across 28 books. How Beginner Books marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About Beginner Books
Beginner Books is the American early-reader imprint founded in 1957 by Phyllis Cerf, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Helen Palmer Geisel, which launched with The Cat in the Hat and has been part of Random House since 1960.
The imprint grew from the success of The Cat in the Hat, which Geisel wrote using a short list of basic words. Phyllis Cerf, wife of Random House head Bennett Cerf, proposed a company built around such books; Geisel became its president and editor, and the Cat became its mascot. The Cat in the Hat was book B-1, and Random House distributed the list until it bought the company outright in 1960.
Geisel wrote many of the best-known titles himself, including The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (1958), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), Hop on Pop (1963) and Fox in Socks (1965). Other authors on the list included P. D. Eastman (Are You My Mother?, Go, Dog. Go!) and Stan and Jan Berenstain, whose bear books for the list began with The Big Honey Hunt (1962).
Beginner Books continues as a Random House children's imprint within Penguin Random House, owned by Bertelsmann.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows Beginner Books's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify Beginner Books first editions
Authors
Series
Books
Published by Beginner Books
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a Beginner Books first edition?
- The Cat in the Hat first printings have the price "200/200" ($2.00) at the top right of the front jacket flap; the price was later cut to $1.95, so a lower flap price means a later printing.
How many Beginner Books books does MyVolumes track?
We track 28 editions published by Beginner Books, 26 of them first editions, across 28 books.
Where these facts come from
- Beginner Books, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Cat in the Hat, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Identifying and Valuing First Edition Beginner Books, 1stedition.net (1stedition.net)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 19 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.