[1] It was one of the bestselling paperback books of World War II, with 1.34 million copies in print by 1945.

The rest of the volume consists of short jokes and humorous observations with most being no more than four lines long.

It is notable for being an early example of Dr. Seuss' distinct illustration style.

A short positive review in The New York Times described Dr. Seuss's illustrations as "hilarious".

[4] The pseudonym "Alexander Abingdon" was used as the author of the series, which was originally released in order as follows.