How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (original 1957; edition 1957)

A teacher could read this book beofre the christmas holiday to get the students relaxed and excited for their vacation from school. ( )

Oh look! It's another Dr. Seuss title (just like The Lorax) that I'm going to find well-nigh impossible to review! Such was my thought, a few weeks back, when adding How the Grinch Stole Christmas to this site... And sure enough, confronted by my utter inability to muster even one coherent sentence to describe it, let alone my feelings about it, I deleted it from those shelves again. And then subsequently added it, and deleted it a second time. Third time lucky, as the saying goes, so here we are:

Some fictional characters are so ubiquitous, their stories so well-known, that their very names serve as a sort of cultural short-hand. Cinderella - that archetype of the rags-to-riches story - comes immediately to mind, in this respect. When we refer to something as a "Cinderella Story," we expect to be understood, without need of further elaboration. In much the same way, calling someone a Grinch, at least amongst the younger Americans of my acquaintance, immediately conjures - with that word alone - the impression of someone who, to put it mildly, is lacking in the holiday spirit. Someone so mean-spirited that they don't just loathe Christmas themselves, they begrudge others the happiness of the season. That this name - the "Grinch" - now functions in such a fashion, is a testament to the success of Dr. Seuss's book, and his immense influence on American culture.

Like practically every other Dr. Seuss title, I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas countless times as a child, and had it memorized long before I was even aware of the television adaptation. (Although there is no denying that the song, You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!, now plays in my head, when reading the book). The amazing illustrations - done in black and white, with accents in red and pink - are perfectly matched by the rollicking text, which is an absolute delight to read aloud:

Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch.
But, if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or two.
Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue.
Where the little Who stockings all hung in a row.
"These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things to go!"

The process whereby this decided anti-hero, with his heart two sizes too small, comes to realize that Christmas "doesn't come from a store. / Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more," makes for an entertaining and heartwarming holiday read. One with enough true nastiness to satisfy the reader, adult or child, who finds the holidays annoying, and a sufficiently happy ending to please those who love the season. As always: no small achievement, Dr. Seuss! ( )

One of my all-time favorite stories! The Grinch, with his itty bitty tiny heart, deeply dislikes the Whos of Whoville. He especially despises the Whos Christmas traditions. He plots to and eventually STEALS Christmas! He takes the toys, the trees, the stockings, everything! He eventually feels remorseful for his actions & returns all the stolen items! The book, the cartoon and the Jim Carrey movie are all wonderful and if applicable to all children in the class (religion) would be a fun share! MY FAVORITE! ( )

Cute Christmas story about a "Grinch" that wanted to take Christmas away form the people in Whoville. A good book to teach poetry and cause and effect.

a fun Christmas story that reminds us there's more to Christmas than just presents ( )