Born on March 2? Here's how you can get a free book to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is upping the ante this year, offering even more free books in celebration of Dr. Seuss Day.
Last year, the organization pledged to give a free book to every child born on March 2, 2024. This year, anyone in the U.S. with a March 2 birthday – from any year – can receive a free, personalized copy of “The Cat in the Hat.”
Alternatively, eligible readers can choose to donate their complimentary copy through First Book, a nonprofit that provides educational resources to children in underserved communities.
“Fostering learning and development through the joy of reading is central to our mission at Dr. Seuss Enterprises,” says Susan Brandt, president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, in a statement. “The expansion of the Birthday Pledge allows us to bring Dr. Seuss books to many more readers because, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’”
How to snag a free book on Dr. Seuss Day
Any U.S. resident with a March 2 birthday is eligible to receive a complimentary copy of “The Cat in the Hat.” To get yours, register at SeussPledge.com and choose whether you’d like Dr. Seuss Enterprises to send your book to you or donate it to a child in an underserved community.
What is Dr. Seuss Day?
Celebrated every year on March 2, Dr. Seuss day honors the beloved children’s book author behind classics like “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham” and “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on that day in 1904. Sunday’s celebration would mark his 121st birthday.
For over 20 years, National Education Association’s Read Across America Day coincided with Dr. Seuss Day, until 2019, when the partnership contract ended. Now, though the two are still celebrated on or around the same day, NEA has pivoted to focus their annual reading day on diverse children’s books. This year, Read Across America Day is March 3.
The shift came in the wake of controversy and criticism over the portayal of people of color in some Seuss books. On Dr. Seuss Day in 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced it would cease sales of six books because of the way they illustrated people “in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
This year, Dr. Seuss Enterprises will celebrate March 2 with the ninth annual “Tackle Reading” event, a partnership between Creative Minds Publications and NFL players where athletes will read a beloved Seuss title at a school-wide assembly. Participating schools will also receive a collection of Random House Children’s Books and each child will receive their own Dr. Seuss book.
Clare Mulroy is Paste BN’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.