Beginner Books

Beginner Books is the Random House imprint for young children, co-founded by Phyllis Cerf with Ted Geisel, more often known as Dr. Seuss and his wife Helen Palmer Geisel.

Beginner Books are known to use only the 379 words, considered the basic vocabulary for young readers, which Cerf compiled with only twenty new words allowed per book.

Their first book was Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" (1957). With only four titles in their catalog in 1958, they were earning a million dollars a year two years later, making Random House the largest publisher of children's books in America.

Early contributors

Among illustrators of early Beginner Books are:

* Dr. Seuss
* Robert M. Lopshire
* Roy McKié
* P. D. Eastman
* Stan and Jan Berenstain

Among authors of early Beginner Books are:

* Dr. Seuss
* Robert M. Lopshire
* Bennett Cerf
* Al Perkins
* Helen Palmer Geisel
* P. D. Eastman
* Stan and Jan Berenstain

Beginner Books in the future

Random House has been announced that the two-volume "Beginner Book Stories 7-in-1 by Dr. Seuss" series will be released in bookstores and other fine retailers around November 6, 2008.

The following volumes in that series include:

: VOLUME 1 - The Cat in the Hat and Other Beginner Book Stories
* "The Cat in the Hat"
* "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"
* "There's a Wocket in My Pocket"
* "Fox in Socks"
* "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish"
* "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think"
* "The Foot Book"

: VOLUME 2 - Green Eggs and Ham and Other Beginner Book Stories
* "Green Eggs and Ham"
* "Hop on Pop"
* "Oh Say Can You Say"
* "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now"
* "Dr. Seuss's ABC"
* "I Can Read with My Eyes Shut"
* "Mr. Brown Can Moo Can YOU!"

External links

* [http://www.1stedition.net/beginnerbooks.html List of the first 50 Beginner Books at Children's Picture Book Price Guide]