‘90s FAMILY : New Dr. Seuss Book, Cartoon to Come

The Cat in the Hat is back--with a book in a nook.

A 20-year-old manuscript by Dr. Seuss, the beloved children’s author, was discovered after his death, his publisher said Monday.

“Daisy-Head Mayzie” will be published next winter by Random House and will be made into an animated cartoon.

Audrey Geisel, the author’s widow, found the script in the bottom of a drawer as she was preparing to renovate her house in La Jolla.

Dr. Seuss, the pen name of Theodor Geisel, wrote the story as a screenplay. He used typically whimsical verse, but made only a few loose drawings.

As a result, the cartoon’s animation will be created by artists working with the Seuss drawings, and the book’s illustrations will be based on the animation.

Narrated by Seuss’ most famous character, the Cat in the Hat, “Daisy-Head Mayzie” is the story of a girl who suddenly finds a daisy growing from the top of her head. She is taunted by schoolmates, chased by bees and scrutinized by those eager to solve her “problem.”

After an agent talks her into cashing in on her notoriety, Mayzie discovers the perils of overnight success and concludes love means more than fame and glory.

Baltimore Rejects Domestic Partnerships

After months of emotional debate, Baltimore’s City Council rejected a proposal last week that would have granted legal recognition to gay couples.

The legislation, defeated 10 to 7, would have set up a municipal registry for domestic partnerships. Under the bill, gays living together could register as families and be guaranteed hospital visitation rights. Hospitals usually allow only close relatives to visit critically ill patients.

In Austin, Tex., voters recently repealed a policy that provided insurance benefits to the companions of city employees.

Putting Household Items to Child-Care Use

Your child is teething and all the bibs are dirty. Quick, what do you do? Use a bandanna scarf to catch the drool, suggests Vicki Lansky in “Don’t Throw That Out!” (Book Peddlars of Deephaven, Minn.; 1994).

The 98-page, softcover book describes practical child-care uses for such items as berry baskets (use them in the dishwasher to hold bottle nipples and prevent them from falling into the bottom of the dishwasher); marshmallows (drop a large marshmallow into a flat-bottomed ice-cream cone before adding ice cream to minimize leaking), and wax paper (rub it over tray runners on highchairs to make the tray slide easily into place).

The tips are organized in alphabetical order. Lansky is the author of 26 books, including “Feed Me I’m Yours,” “Baby Proofing Basics” and “The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster.”

* The Family File appears regularly on the ‘90s Family page.