Is Cat in the Hat a fairy tale?

The Dr. Seuss books are often called "modern fairy tales." They are, sort of.

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904-1991) had in mind the goal of providing the same sort of "moral message" that some fairy tales provide. But he does so by being completely silly and surreal rather than being horrific or scary. His books are entertaining, subversively poking fun at parents and authority. But the underlying moral of his stories is one of doing right, being kind, and not hurting others by our selfish actions.