The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Front cover
Author	Dr. Seuss
Illustrator	Dr. Seuss
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature
Publisher	Random House
Publication date	September 12, 1958
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover and paperback)
Preceded by	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Cat in the Hat (plot wise)
Followed by	Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back is a 1958 children's book written and illustrated by American author Theodore Geisel under his pen name Dr. Seuss. Published by Random House as one of its five original Beginner Books, it is the sequel to The Cat in the Hat (1957). In the book, the Cat in the Hat leaves a pink stain in the bathtub and spreads it around the house while cleaning it. He unveils a series of increasingly small cats from beneath his hat until the smallest one lifts his hat and unleashes a force called Voom that cleans all of the pink stain. The book uses under 300 distinct words with a plot inspired by Geisel's earlier story "The Strange Shirt Spot" (1951). It reuses several aspects of The Cat in the Hat, such as poor weather preventing the children from playing and the absence of an adult figure. The children are quicker to confront the Cat compared to the first book, and the character of Sally engages more with other characters instead of staying silent. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was well-received but did not garner as much critical praise as The Cat in the Hat. A film adaptation was planned but ultimately canceled after the failure of The Cat in the Hat (2003).