It’s been years since the world was introduced to The Cat in the Hat, the feline prankster created by Dr. Seuss and adored by generations of readers.

Children’s author and illustrator Judith Kerr did the original art work for the book and says she met Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel)  at a party and remembers him as a tall man who she also considered a genius.

Kerr says she also noticed that in most Dr. Seuss books there are no more than 250 different words something she adopted for use in her own writings.

Since its publication in 1957, The Cat in the Hat as been adapted for various media, including theatre, television, film, and educational software.  There is even a ride at Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida that is based on the book.