And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

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And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street (ISBN 0-394-84494-7) is a book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. This was Seuss's first children's book, originally published in 1937. The manuscript was rejected by 28 separate publishers, but was eventually picked up by Vanguard Press.

The book title is often assumed to refer to Mulberry Street in New York City. However, Theodor Geisel was born on Howard Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Mulberry Street in Springfield is only 1/2 mile from Howard. The only other named street in the story is Bliss, which matches the name of the street next to Howard St. in Springfield. Thus, it would seem that the Mulberry Street in this story was inspired by the one in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The main character, Marco, watches the sight and sounds of people and vehicles traveling along Mulberry Street. Marco dreams up an elaborate story to tell to his father at the end of his walk, but decides instead to simply tell him what he actually saw. Dr. Seuss wrote this book as a commentary about how he felt adults stifled children's imaginations. It is the first book to feature Marco, with the second being McElligot's Pool.