Sing the 50 United States! is an unpublished book by Dr. Seuss announced on October 28, 2025. It is the first posthumous full manuscript by Dr. Seuss to be discovered since What Pet Should I Get? in 2015. [1] [2] Dr. Seuss's real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel and he died in 1991. [3] The book is intended to teach children the names of the 50 United States. Discovery of the book was made at the Geisel Library at the University of California, San Diego. It is scheduled to be published June 2, 2026, just before America's 250th birthday, by Random House, with an initial run of 500,000 copies. [1] [2] The found archive material also included a cover sketch and direction on the artwork. [4] The inside dust jacket includes a map of the United States. [5] The book will be illustrated in the style of Seuss by Tom Brannon. The book features The Cat in the Hat assisted by two Little Cat helpers. Dr. Seuss Enterprises plans to release a related music video on the Dr. Seuss YouTube channel. [6] Dr. Seuss Enterprises is also planning a "backpack build" program, offering students in all 50 states a backpack, Dr. Seuss books, and school materials. [7]
The discovery was made in April 2025 when three researchers went to the Geisel Library looking for sketches from existing books. They were given 20 boxes of Geisel's papers and materials. In the miscellaneous section they found working notes and a clean final draft of Sing the 50 United States!. The working materials were handwritten, undated, and showed no sign of having been shown to an editor. Geisel signed the final typewritten version. [5] Susan Brandy, the president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said “Uncovering a new work from Ted is like finding a time capsule of his imagination." [2]