Still, Seuss dominates so much of our imaginations around childhood. It may take another generation or two to reset our perspective so that Seuss isn’t synonymous with children’s literature. I spoke with Kesi Augustine, PhD, a debut children’s author and scholar whose research focuses on children’s literature to ask for her insights. Recently when Augustine was promoting her picture book, Faith Takes the Train (HarperCollins 2025, illustrated by Mokshini), an adult reader approached her before she had even started her event.
The reader asked if she was a children’s author, and related that Green Eggs and Ham was his all-time favorite book. As he and Augustine engaged in a conversation about Seuss, Augustine observed the powerful nostalgia that can cast a spell on us for decades, preventing us from discovering new authors. Isn’t 65 years of Green Eggs and Ham enough? What new books will become beloved for generations?