Beginner Books

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Beginner Books is the Random House imprint for young children ages 3–9, co-founded by Phyllis Cerf with Ted Geisel, more often known as Dr. Seuss, and his wife Helen Palmer Geisel. Their first book was Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat (1957), whose title character appears in the brand's logo. Cerf compiled a list of 379 words as the basic vocabulary for young readers, along with another 20 slightly harder "emergency" words.^[1] No more than 200 words were taken from that list to write The Cat in the Hat. Subsequent books in the series were modeled on the same requirement.^[2]

Beginner Books had only four titles in their catalog in 1958. Two years later, they were earning 1 million dollars a year. Random House acquired Beginner Books in 1960^[3] and was the largest publisher of children's books in the United States.

When Theodor Seuss Geisel illustrated his own stories, he wrote as Dr. Seuss. When others created the illustrations, he used either the pseudonym Theo LeSieg or Rosetta Stone. Other authors of early Beginner Books were Robert M. Lopshire, Bennett Cerf, Al Perkins, Helen Palmer Geisel who wrote as Helen Palmer, Philip Dey Eastman, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Benjamin Elkin and Marion Holland.

Early Beginner Books employed many famous illustrators, including the aforementioned Theodor Seuss Geisel, P. D. Eastman, Stan and Jan Berenstain, and Robert Lopshire. Roy McKie was also an illustrator.

It has been suggested that this article should be split into a new article titled List of Beginner Books. (discuss) (August 2022)

• Grolier Book Club Beginner Book Series
• Scholastic Book Club Beginner Book Series
• Early Moments Book Club Beginner Book Series

The following books are for younger children and are technically part of the series. The "BE" designation stands for Bright and Early.

• Grolier Bright and Early Book series
• Scholastic Bright and Early Book series
• Early Moments Bright and Early Book series

Most, if not all, of these books are abridged versions of Beginner Books or Bright and Early Books. These books are not numbered.

• The Alphabet Book by P. D. Eastman, additional materials by Peter Eastman
• I'll Teach My Dog a Lot of Words written by Michael Frith, illustrated by P. D. Eastman
• Big Dog...Little Dog by P. D. Eastman
• Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman
• Eres mi Mama? by P. D. Eastman
• Go, Dog. Go! P.D. Eastman's Book of Things That Go illustrated by P. D. Eastman
• Ve, Perro. Ve! by P. D. Eastman
• Fred and Ted Like to Fly by Peter Eastman
• The Snowman illustrated by Raymond Briggs – Note: the only Bright and Early Board Book without any words
• What Time Is It? by P. D. Eastman (eBook only)
• The Berenstain Bears: Old Hat, New Hat by the Berenstains
• Sombrero Viejo, Sombrero Nuevo by the Berenstains (out of print)
• The Berenstain Bears: Inside, Outside, Upside Down by the Berenstains
• The Berenstain Bears: He Bear, She Bear by the Berenstains
• Summer by Alice Low, illustrated by Roy McKie
• Put Me In The Zoo: A Book of Colors by Robert Lopshire
• Stop, Train, Stop! by Rev. W. Awdry
• Para, Trencito, Para! by Rev. W. Awdry (out of print)
• Blue Train, Green Train by Rev. W. Awdry
• Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! by Dr. Seuss
• Fox In Socks: Dr. Seuss's Book of Tongue Twisters by Dr. Seuss
• Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
• Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Roy McKie – Note: this book is a 1998 recolor edition.
• There's a Wocket in My Pocket! Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes by Dr. Seuss
• Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss
• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises by Dr. Seuss
• The Shape of Me and Other Stuff: Dr. Seuss's Surprising Word Book by Dr. Seuss
• Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Roy McKie
• The Many Mice of Mr. Brice by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Roy McKie
• The Ear Book by Al Perkins, illustrated by Henry Payne
• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins, illustrated by Eric Gurney
• The Nose Book by Al Perkins, illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites by Dr. Seuss

• Fast Train, Slow Train by Rev W. Awdry
• Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Roy McKie
• Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! by Dr. Seuss
• The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss
• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises by Dr. Seuss
• Trains, Cranes and Troublesome Trucks by Rev W. Awdry
• The Many Mice of Mr. Brice by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Roy McKie
• Fox in Socks: Dr. Seuss's Book of Tongue Twisters by Dr. Seuss
• Are You My Mother? written and illustrated by P. D. Eastman
• Hop on Pop: The Simplest Seuss for Toddlers Use by Dr. Seuss
• Go, Dog. Go!: P. D. Eastman's Book of Things That Go by P. D. Eastman
• The Big Box of Bright and Early Board Books About Me (The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites, The Eye Book, The Nose Book, The Tooth Book)
• The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites by Dr. Seuss
• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins, illustrated by Eric Gurney
• The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg), illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• The Nose Book by Al Perkins, illustrated by Joe Mathieu
• There's a Wocket in My Pocket!: Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes by Dr. Seuss
• The Berenstain Bears: Inside, Outside, Upside Down by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Kohl's-exclusive)
• The Alphabet Book by P.D. Eastman, additional materials by Peter Eastman (Kohl's-exclusive)
• Put Me in the Zoo: A Book of Colors by Robert Lopshire (Kohl's-exclusive)

• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss (only Bright and Early Bath Book)^[5]

• Ladybird Books

• List of the first 50 Beginner Books at Children's Picture Book Price Guide
• kids@Random (catalog download page)