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A collection of Beginner and Bright & Early Books

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). Cerf compiled a list of 379 words as the basic vocabulary for young readers, along with another twenty 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 a million dollars a year and Random House was the largest publisher of children's books in America.

Early contributors

Authors

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.

Illustrators

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

List of Beginner Books

Special Beginner Books

• 
  The Cat in the Hat Dictionary (UK reissue)/The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary (1964, Dr. Seuss (UK reissue) (writing as the Cat himself on the worldwide issue) and P. D. Eastman (uncredited on the UK reissue)) - NOTE: In 2007, this book was additionally written and illustrated by Peter Eastman.


• 
  The Cat in the Hat Songbook (1967, Dr. Seuss) (out of print) - NOTE: This book was re-released in 1993 as a normal Dr. Seuss book.


• 
  The Little Black Pony Races (1968, Walter Farley) (out of print)


• 
  My Book about Me (1969, ME, Myself with some little help from my friends, Dr. Seuss and Roy McKie) (Grolier and Early Moments only) - NOTE: This book was re-released as a By ME, Myself book in the 21st century.


• 
  I Can Draw It Myself (1970, ME, Myself with a little help from my friend, Dr. Seuss) - NOTE: This book was re-released in other editions and later added new pages in 2017 edition as a By ME, Myself book in May 2017.


• 
  Some of Us Walk, Some Fly, Some Swim (1971, Michael Frith) (out of print)


• 
  The Bears' Almanac (1973, Stan and Jan Berenstain) (out of print) - NOTE: This book was reprinted as Bear Facts Library. (out of print)


• 
  The Cat's Quizzer (1976, Dr. Seuss) (Grolier and Early Moments only) - NOTE: This book was reprinted in 1993 as B-75.


• 
  Beginning Readers' Yearbook 1994 (1994) (Grolier Book Club)


• 
  Pigs of a Feather (1998, Tish Rabe and K. Klimo/Unreleased) (out of print)

The Big Books of Beginner Books

• 
  The Big Blue Book of Beginner Books (1994) Put Me in the Zoo/A Fly Went By/Are You My Mother?/Go, Dog. Go!/The Best Nest/It's Not Easy Being a Bunny
  


• 
  The Big Red Book of Beginner Books (1995) I Want To Be Somebody New!/Sam and the Firefly/Stop That Ball!/Robert the Rose Horse/The Digging-est Dog/The Very Bad Bunny
  


• 
  The Big Book of Berenstain Bears Beginner Books (1996) The Big Honey Hunt/The Bears' Picnic/The Bear Scouts/The Bear Detectives/The Missing Dinosaur Bone/The Bike Lesson (out of print)


• 
  The Big Green Book of Beginner Books (1997) Great Day for Up/Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?/I Wish That I Had Duck Feet/Wacky Wednesday/Maybe You Should Fly a Jet!/I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! (Note: This is the last Dr. Seuss book where Geisel did not illustrate.)


• 
  The Big Book of Berenstain Bears Beginner Books (2011) The Bike Lesson/The Bears' Picnic/The Bears' Vacation/Bears in the Night/The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree/The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone (out of print)


• 
  My Big Book of Beginner Books about Me (2011) The Foot Book/The Eye Book/The Ear Book/The Nose Book/The Tooth Book/The Knee Book (Note: Only Beginner Book collection without Beginner Books.)


• 
  The Big Purple Book of Beginner Books (2012) A Fish Out of Water/Snow/I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words/Flap Your Wings/Big Dog...Little Dog/Fred and Ted Go Camping (Note: P.D. Eastman's final work after his death in early 1986.)


• 
  The Big Book of Thomas the Tank Engine Beginner Books (2013) Stop Train Stop/A Crack in the Track/Go Train Go/Blue Train Green Train/Trains, Cranes and Troublesome Trucks/Fast Train Slow Train (out of print)


• 
  The Big Orange Book of Beginner Books (2015) Ten Apples Up On Top!/In a People House/Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!/The Shape of Me and Other Stuff/Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!/Hooper Humperdink...? Not Him! (Notes: This is the only Beginner Book collection with two Beginner Books and four Bright and Early Books instead four Beginner Books and two Bright and Early Books. Also, Roy McKie's final work after his death.)


• 
  The Big Aqua Book of Beginner Books (2017) The Cat in the Hat Comes Back/There's a Wocket in My Pocket!/New Tricks I Can Do/Hand Hand Fingers Thumb/Please Try to Remember the First of Octember!/Oh Say Can You Say? (Note: Al Perkins, Robert Lobshire, Eric Gurney and Art Cummings' last works after their deaths in 1975, 2002, 1992 and 2012.)

Book Club

• Grolier Book Club Beginner Book Series


• Scholastic Book Club Beginner Book Series


• Early Moments Book Club Beginner Book Series

Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners

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

Special Bright and Early Books

• 
  I Can Write! (1971, ME, Myself with a little help from Dr. Seuss (writing as Theo. LeSieg) and Roy McKie)


• 
  Dr. Seuss's Book of Animals (2018, Dr. Seuss)


• 
  Dr. Seuss's Book of Colors (2018, Dr. Seuss)

The Big Book of Bright and Early Book Stories

• 
  The Big Book of Berenstain Bears Stories (2016) Inside, Outside, Upside Down/Bears on Wheels/The Berenstain Bears on the Moon/Old Hat, New Hat/He Bear, She Bear/The Bear Scouts/The Bear Detectives: The Case of the Missing Pumpkin
  

Book Club

• Grolier Bright and Early Book series


• Scholastic Bright and Early Book series


• Early Moments Bright and Early Book series

Bright and Early Board Books

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: Only Bright and Early Board Book without any words.


• 
  What Time Is It? by P. D. Eastman (eBook only)


• 
  Old Hat, New Hat by the Berenstains (out of print)


• 
  Sombrero Viejo, Sombrero Nuevo by the Berenstains (out of print)


• 
  Inside, Outside, Upside Down by the Berenstains (out of print)


• 
  He Bear, She Bear by the Berenstains (out of print)


• 
  Summer by Alice Low, illustrated by Roy McKie (out of print)


• Put Me In The Zoo: A Book of Colors by Robert Lopshire


• 
  Stop, Train, Stop! by Rev. W. Awdry (out of print)


• 
  Para, Trencito, Para! by Rev. W. Awdry (out of print)


• 
  Blue Train, Green Train by Rev. W. Awdry (out of print)


• 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, illustrated by Roy McKie


• 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


• 
  The Ear Book by Al Perkins, illustrated by Henry Payne (out of print)


• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins, illustrated by Eric Gurney


• 
  The Nose Book by Al Perkins, illustrated by Joe Mathieu (out of print)


• The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Joe Mathieu


• The Eye Book by Theo LeSieg, illustrated by Joe Mathieu


• The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites

Big Bright and Early Board Books

• 
  Fast Train, Slow Train by Rev W. Awdry (out of print)


• Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Roy McKie


• Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! by Dr. Seuss


• 
  The Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain (out of print)


• Oh, The Thinks You Can Think by Dr. Seuss


• Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss


• 
  Trains, Cranes and Troublesome Trucks by Rev W. Awdry (out of print)


• The Many Mice of Mr. Brice by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Roy McKie


• Sleepy Time with Aurora by Andrea Posner, illustrated by Sue DiCicco


• Bath Time with Ariel by Andrea Posner, illustrated by Sue DiCicco


• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin


• Fox in Socks: Dr. Seuss's Book of Tongue Twisters


• 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


• 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, illustrated by Joe Mathieu


• The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites


• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins, illustrated by Eric Gurney


• The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Joe Mathieu


• There's a Wocket in My Pocket!: Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes


• The Shape of Me and Other Stuff: Dr. Seuss's Surprising Word Book


• Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Roy McKie


• I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words by Michael Frith, illustrated by P. D. Eastman


• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss


• The Alphabet Book by P. D. Eastman, additional materials by Peter Eastman


• Put Me in the Zoo: A Book of Colors by Robert Lopshire


• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

References

External links

• List of the first 50 Beginner Books at Children's Picture Book Price Guide


• 
  kids@Random (catalog download page)