The Cat in the Hat (TV special) The Cat in the Hat (TV special) The Cat in the Hat is an American animated musical television special first aired on CBS on July 4, 1971, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss children's book of the same name, and produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. With voices by Allan Sherman and prolific vocal performer Daws Butler, this half-hour special is a loose adaptation with added musical sequences. As the story opens, it is too rainy and cold to play outside, so Sally and Conrad sit bored and look out the window. Their mom announces her departure, tells them to have fun,
The Cat in the Hat words he found that rhymed. The words he found were "cat" and "hat". The book was met with immediate critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised it as an exciting alternative to traditional primers. Three years after its debut, the book had already sold over a million copies, and in 2001 "Publishers Weekly" listed the book at number nine on its list of best-selling children's books of all time. The book's success led to the creation of Beginner Books, a publishing house centered on producing similar books for young children learning to read. In 1983, Geisel said, "It is the book