Cattus Petasatus. The Cat in the Hat in Latin

Customer Reviews

It's a lot of fun

2008-03-24
I bought this just for the sheer fun of it. Impress your friends as you walk about spouting Seussian rhyme. ;-)

Wonderful!

2008-02-28
Just like cat in the hat in English but Latin and perfect for learning Latin. There is even a dictionary in the back to explain the words in the book.

Latin Seuss

2008-01-30
The Cat in the Hat in Latin is excellent! The glossary in the back helps with some of the more complicated vocabulary, and the translation is very good. It is a great way for me to introduce my child to Latin. Latin was probably the class in high school that I use the most often in my adult life - not the actual language, but the vocabulary and the grammar (which gives so many forms that don't appear in English, but do appear in many, many other languages). I have learned more about cultures and other languages because Latin showed me how.

Optime! But be warned...Tougher than you think

2004-08-20
I am a three year Latin student, and am particularly obsessed with the language. When I got this book, I was expecting a light and funny Latin read. However, I was surprised by its difficulty. Because the book has been (brilliantly) rendered into the same rhyming meter as Seuss' English version, the words in Latin do not directly correspond to the English. This makes it infinately more challeging, in that you cannot check your translation against the English book. In fact, it took me a good month or so to get through it. Despite the challenge, it was highly enjoyable to read. I am amazed by the skill it would take to rhyme the words in Latin in the same way Seuss originally did, while keeping the same baisic meaning. If students of the language would like a slightly easier read, I would highly recommend "Ferdinandus Taurus", which is also fun to read but with less complex language and grammar.

Great for Latin Students

2004-07-11
I am a Latin minor at a California University, and have studied Latin for about three years. This book was part of my class curriculum of Latin poetry, and was a nice break from the works of Ovid and Virgil! It is a simple book to translate, though some of the gerunds can be a little tricky. This book is a lot of fun, and is helpful in learning new vocabulary. If I remember correctly, all of the words used are given English meanings in the back of the book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is learning Latin. Though you may get annoyed by comments made by bystanders who think you are reading "The Cat in the Hat."

Appeals to any audience

2003-07-24
One of the first books for countless children, this story of a free-spirited Cat who, with his high jinks and mischievous friends (Things One and Two) turns the house upside-down for two bored children on a rainy day is retold in Latin in Cattus Petasatus.

This edition features the original artwork of Dr. Seuss and a translation in rhyming verse that echoes the sound of the original Cat in the Hat.

The wonderful, whimsical, and thought-provoking stories of Dr. Seuss have been published in twenty languages. An excellent addition to Seuss collections the world over, this Latin-language edition of Seuss' timeless first reader is a welcome, all-occasion gift, a delightful way to revisit a treasured tale, and an enjoyable way to refresh your high school Latin.

Also available:

Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit: How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Latin - ISBN 0865164193
Green Eggs and Ham In Latin: Virent Ova! Viret Perna!! - ISBN 0865165556

A new spin on a classic 2002-02-04
It's well known that Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat in response to a challenge to write a children's book only using 40 basic vocabulary words. Now a new spin brings basic vocabulary to another language. Latin, often thought to be the "dead" language, is brought alive with something other than the so called "dead guys." Here the reader can have a basis in the book, and verse, beforehand and see it and Latin anew in this translation. The translators do a marvelous job of mimicing the rhythm and meter of Seuss's charming tale. And with the Seuss drawings intact the connection between the text in Latin and the story is there to help you along. It makes Latin accessible and that's not a small feat. Read it aloud and you feel so very intelligent. Try this book - it's fun.

A good intermediate practice to Latin 2001-09-04
Having tried to learn Latin, I found reading the Classics was extremely difficult. Afterall, it is written by a native speaker, and I am no Latin native speaker. So I found this book to be very useful. The only problem is that it emulates Dr. Seuss's writing so well, that the whole book uses pretty much once case in Latin. You will learn that case very well, but won't be able to practice other cases in normal writing. However, I think it was a terrific idea, and I like the fact that all the words are listed in the back (as well as the context). The fact that it uses more mundane words (compare with Caesar's Gaelic Wars) is also great for intermediate readers.

All in all, I consider it time well spent, not to mention, its just fun reading Dr. Seuss in Latin.

Qui Bono from this book? Anyone who must study Latin! 2001-03-18
I wish, oh I wish I had this book back in middle school where we had two years of Latin. What a good idea this is, to take a familiar story and have it so you can compare it to the Latin, especially the grammar. The fact it is a kid's book makes it even simpler; the sentence structures are more or less straightforward. We translated Beatles songs like "I wanna hold your hand" into Latin but I wish I had had this book!

This is a great idea. Why didn't someone do it before?

Great tale in an even better language! 2000-08-28
I thought the Cat in the Hat was good in English. But now I can read this fabulous work of literature and teach my children the greatest language since Greek. Recommended for all!