Son loves the Dr. Seuss Learning Library books so found a big collection online not realizing it was the UK version. It came with a few we already had, but noticed the different title on this one (Would You Rather be a Pollywog in US and Would You Rather be a Tadpole in UK) so compared the two. Are Thing 1 and Thing 2 really blonde and wear blue shirts in all UK Seuss stuff? They were in the rest of this set at least
pr1ncesschl0e on
Genuinely confused by this because I thought they were famously blue haired across the board. I’ve never in my life seen these blonde abominations
Dark_Pulse on
I didn’t even know they were different, but my hunch is that if they are different, it was presumably due to some kind of UK racial overtone that the US colors might have drawn over there?
I vaguely remember some other character being changed for that reason.
NegativeBeginning400 on
I wonder if there would have bene increased production costs associated with the US colors on the initial run, and so they did it that way and it stuck. I would be interested to see the total number of colors used on the page between the US and UK versions.
Broad_Educator_1023 on
Cost cutting?
Calligaster on
Damn, too early for the Brits’ response
Big_Z_Beeblebrox on
I wonder if they thought the original color scheme was too US/French
azad_ninja on
from a wiki:
The Things wear red jumpsuits with the names “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” and have blue afro hair in almost their other appearances. In the Learning Library, they wear blue jumpsuits, their afro hair is blond, and their skin color is peach.
They could also have updated the US version to conform with the upcoming Cat in the Hat film colors for the characters.
welding_guy_from_LI on
Who knew dr suess would mock the Democratic Party way back when 😂
rand0fand0 on
Blue hair!? My word.
pedal-force on
Not my dumbass reading the text 4 times to see what’s different.
JoeJonnyJeff on
Karens vs creatures
suffaluffapussycat on
I wanna know the scenario where OP noticed this.
Lionleaf_ on
Sue and Johnny Storm
No-Midnight-4461 on
The blue and the blond, the blond and the blue. It matters not what colors for thing 1 and thing 2.
Present-Assignment99 on
Wow! My Things have always had blue hair!
untakenu on
I have this book, and did since I was a kid (in the UK), they are still red with blue hair.
New version?
Sniper666hell on
Different printing companies and distributors.
TinglyAmelia on
Red and blue were probably considered too flashy for a country that eats beans on toast.
sauropods on
They look like they joined the Fantastic Four.
CMDR_omnicognate on
I don’t think i’ve ever seen the top version in the UK, i’ve only ever known them with blue hair and red onesies.
mizinamo on
Is the top one the “down with Ukraine” version?
cutielemon07 on
I’m British and only know Thing 1 and Thing 2 as having red suits and blue hair. That’s so weird.
OhWhatATravisty on
Here we meet Thing 1 and Thing 2. Sometimes they’re red, sometimes they’re blue.
OozyPilot84 on
they’re shiny
WendigoCrossing on
Big Bird is different in other countries as well
Baddyshack on
Isn’t the UK kinda famous for the colors red and blue? Why change that?
winatoyYoda on
If the yellow haired creature is American, Perhaps the blue-haired things are too partisan?
Iconclast1 on

johnruk on
No, I do not like it. Not one little bit.
ShelleysSkylark on
I’m from the UK and had no idea they were different. People would always dress up as thing one and two for World Book Day with the red suits and blue wigs!
caiaphas8 on
I saw the picture and assumed that the top one is American and the bottom is British.
35 Comments
Son loves the Dr. Seuss Learning Library books so found a big collection online not realizing it was the UK version. It came with a few we already had, but noticed the different title on this one (Would You Rather be a Pollywog in US and Would You Rather be a Tadpole in UK) so compared the two. Are Thing 1 and Thing 2 really blonde and wear blue shirts in all UK Seuss stuff? They were in the rest of this set at least
Genuinely confused by this because I thought they were famously blue haired across the board. I’ve never in my life seen these blonde abominations
I didn’t even know they were different, but my hunch is that if they are different, it was presumably due to some kind of UK racial overtone that the US colors might have drawn over there?
I vaguely remember some other character being changed for that reason.
I wonder if there would have bene increased production costs associated with the US colors on the initial run, and so they did it that way and it stuck. I would be interested to see the total number of colors used on the page between the US and UK versions.
Cost cutting?
Damn, too early for the Brits’ response
I wonder if they thought the original color scheme was too US/French
from a wiki:
The Things wear red jumpsuits with the names “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” and have blue afro hair in almost their other appearances. In the Learning Library, they wear blue jumpsuits, their afro hair is blond, and their skin color is peach.
They could also have updated the US version to conform with the upcoming Cat in the Hat film colors for the characters.
Who knew dr suess would mock the Democratic Party way back when 😂
Blue hair!? My word.
Not my dumbass reading the text 4 times to see what’s different.
Karens vs creatures
I wanna know the scenario where OP noticed this.
Sue and Johnny Storm
The blue and the blond, the blond and the blue. It matters not what colors for thing 1 and thing 2.
Wow! My Things have always had blue hair!
I have this book, and did since I was a kid (in the UK), they are still red with blue hair.
New version?
Different printing companies and distributors.
Red and blue were probably considered too flashy for a country that eats beans on toast.
They look like they joined the Fantastic Four.
I don’t think i’ve ever seen the top version in the UK, i’ve only ever known them with blue hair and red onesies.
Is the top one the “down with Ukraine” version?
I’m British and only know Thing 1 and Thing 2 as having red suits and blue hair. That’s so weird.
Here we meet Thing 1 and Thing 2. Sometimes they’re red, sometimes they’re blue.
they’re shiny
Big Bird is different in other countries as well
Isn’t the UK kinda famous for the colors red and blue? Why change that?
If the yellow haired creature is American, Perhaps the blue-haired things are too partisan?

No, I do not like it. Not one little bit.
I’m from the UK and had no idea they were different. People would always dress up as thing one and two for World Book Day with the red suits and blue wigs!
I saw the picture and assumed that the top one is American and the bottom is British.
Never seen blond and blue in Britain
Why did they need to be different?
AMERICA will always be RED, WHITE & BLUE.
Johnny Storm