Charles Cohen, a dedicated historian of Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, has discovered more "lost stories" from the talented children's book author and illustrator.
Cohen and Random House's children's book division will release "Horton And The Kwuggerbug And More Lost Stories" on Sept. 9, according to Newsweek. The book is the fourth collection assembled by the Seuss biographer.
"I can't describe how remarkable it feels to have played a part in giving people ready access to these works again," Cohen told Newsweek.
The latest collection features four stories. The first is "Horton And The Kwuggerbug" that features one of Seuss' most memorable characters, Horton the Elephant. One story brings the return of Marco from Mulberry Street and another entitled "How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" also sets its story on Mulberry Street.
The final story is the shortest and features a grinch, although not the one who stole Christmas. This piece has an anti-consumerist slant. Geisel may have gotten the idea from his own frustration with consumer culture and his role in it as an advertising artist, according to Cohen's introduction at the beginning of the collection.
This compilation of Seuss' lost works may be the last of its kind for Cohen. "Although there are a dozen more 'lost' stories, that doesn't mean that the copyright issues can be resolved," he told Newsweek.
He does want to "re-create a version" of the first book Geisel tried to have publish. No one would publish the young, unproven artist's work during the Great Depression, so he sold his illustrations. Cohen has rediscovered the works through his more than 25,000 hours of research.
"The whole point is to find them, salvage them, preserve them for posterity, and let the public enjoy them once again," he said.
