Common Sense Media Review
By Susan Faust
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cat in the Hat "sings" each state in joyful, song style.
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What's the Story?
The Cat in the Hat leads the way through SING THE 50 UNITED STATES! He launches with the line "To sing the 50 United States / you have to use your brain. / Massachusetts. / Minnesota. / Missouri and Montana. / Maryland! / Michigan and Maine!" The Cat spouts lots of loose and surprising rhymes like "Alaska and Nebraska," like "Ohio and New Mexico." He goes through 49 states and then discovers one missing: "Oh ... ohhh! / Oh ... Oh! / OKLA- / OKLAHOMA!" The concluding verse implies love of country and aspirational unity: "We can sing the 50 United States. / We told you from the start. / To sing the 50 United States ... / you sing them from your heart." There is a note from the publisher explaining how the book came together.
Is It Any Good?
The legacy of the legendary Dr. Seuss includes one more joyful picture book, 35 years after his death. The recently discovered poem along with fresh art in Seuss' singular style join together in Sing the 50 United States! The Cat in the Hat names each state one by one in buoyant verses, and he places the shape of each on a U.S. map to create a two-dimensional puzzle. It all makes for a fun geography game, instructive and almost interactive. Where to put Pennsylvania and Nebraska? No music is provided to "sing the 50 states," leaving readers to make up their own melodies or simply read along with the sing-song cadence. This charming picture book is likely to be a hit by virtue of the Seuss connection. Just in time for the nation's 250th birthday, it subtly underscores love of country and the aspirational unity of our 50 disparate states. In the end, the 50 states are part of one country.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sing the 50 United States! and discuss the states. What state do you live in? Have you lived in or traveled to any other state? Which states do you want to visit?
This book is a Seuss poem full of fun. Have you ever written a poem? If so, did it rhyme? Was it serious or funny or something else?
Have you read other Dr. Seuss books? If so, which ones? Do you have a favorite? How do you feel about his style?
The illustrations in this book and the inside of the book cover show a map of the United States. Have you ever done a puzzle of the United States? If so, could you find where each state belongs?
The poem is billed as a song but no music is provided. Did you make up your own melody as you read the poem, or did you simply read it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Tom Brannon
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House
- Publication date : June 2, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 30, 2026
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