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 ( )

This has to be one of my favorite childhood Christmas books/cartoons. kids big and small will love it. ( )

Based on the book by the famous Dr. Seuss. Inside a snowflake exists the magical land of Whoville. In Whoville, live the Whos, an almost mutated sort of munchkinlike people. All the Whos love Christmas, yet just outside of their beloved Whoville lives the Grinch. The Grinch is a nasty creature that hates Christmas, and plots to steal it away from the Whos which he equally abhors. Yet a small child, Cindy Lou Who, decides to try befriend the Grinch.

I love this holiday book. It has the great imagination, creativity, and color of all the other Seuss books. It tells about how the Grinch has always hated Christmas, and one year, tires to destroy it entirely. When he takes all the material things away from the people of Whoo-Ville, he thinks they will be sad and will no longer celebrate Christmas. But the spirit is still alive with the Whoos, and then the Grinch sees the true meaning of Christmas and joins in on all the love. ( )

This is a great book for the holidays that is very popular with many families across the country. This book utilizes heavy rhyme and repetition in order to tell its story. It's simple sentences help young readers learn their sight words. This book also contains descriptive words that young readers can use the context clues surrounding them in order to predict the definitions.

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories. The grinch is very jealous of the who's down in who-ville. they are always singing, dancing, feasting, and making so much noise. He decides to steal their Christmas and on Christmas eve he takes their presents, decorations, and all the food in their fridge. He goes back to his home in the mountains to watch them cry. However, when they emerge they are singing that it's Christmas. The Grinch is so touched he goes and returns all their things. It is said his heart grew three times it size that day. ( )

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! has a loose parallel to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge takes the form of the Grinch, perhaps Tiny Tim is little Cindy-Lou Who, and the Grinch reaches his epiphany not through visitations in the night from three ghosts, but through listening to the community of Whos singing, despite having lost everything, all of their possessions, all of their food. Bah humbug turns to joy to the world in each.

Yes, there is evil in this world, evil that will steal from children, and lie to them. What could be more evil to a child than an anti-Santa Claus that instead of bringing presents, takes them? On the other hand, people can change, and it’s never too late. Love and goodwill can overcome long-standing grouchiness, er, grinchiness. And despite the joy of new toys, “things” are not the meaning behind Christmas.

The lyrics flow so beautifully throughout this book, and while reading it to kids, I’ve always felt like I was almost singing by following the cadence of the words.

I also love the artwork. Go get your copy (If you don’t have one, go buy one. Immediately), and have a look “Grinchy Claus” entering the chimney of stop number one. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

And I still get a tingly reading this page, even as an atheist: “Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!” … followed by, of course, the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes and redeeming himself.

The collaboration with Chuck Jones (the genius behind many of the Loony Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons) to make the animated special narrated by Boris Karloff that airs each holiday season, was also genius, and a real treat to watch every year while growing up. ( )

I remember "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as the first book I read "all by myself".

Most of us know the story, we've seen the cartoon (Chuck Jones production, see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060345/) or read the book, but it had been a long time since I'd read it when I found it under the Christmas tree, last year, a gift from my (grown) son. He knows me well. ;)

Upon rereading it, I discovered that not only did I enjoy it from an adult perspective, but that the cartoon done in the 1960s was fairly faithful to the book.

Both the cartoon and the book are on my favorite list....why? Because I believe this story has truly captured the meaning of "Christmas" without ever mentioning the baby Jesus in the manger. ( )

The Grinch has been foiled!

The Grinch hates Christmas, and wants to stop it from coming. So he forms a devious plan: to impersonate Santy Claus and to steal the Whos’ Christmas presents. But come Christmas morning, the Grinch is in for a shocking surprise. He did not stop Christmas from coming! And the Grinch realizes something new. That maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. That maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!

Now always available with a foil cover!

This story is about a town called Who-ville where everyone absolutely loves Christmas. Everyone but the Grinch, that is. On Christmas night, the Grinch pretends to be Santa and goes to the houses of every little boy and girl, stealing all their Christmas presents and decorations. The next morning, the Grinch wakes up, expecting to find a town full of very sad Who's. Instead, he sees a town full of people celebrating Christmas cheerfully as if nothing had happened. The Grinch ends up learning that Christmas isn't about the presents under the tree, but it is about being with the people you love and care about, most of all. ( )

This is a great book to read in the classroom when it gets closer to the holidays. The rhymes and illustrations are absolutely captivating but the story also presents a very important moral about Christmas spirit. It's a good alternative to classic Christmas stories and also has a movie version, which could be introduced after the book is read and to stimulate more discussion.

Still a great read aloud. ( )

Jake's Review: It's the Grinch what else do you need to know. Even Brian will read this, so it has to be good. I like watching the cartoon because it is even more fun than the book. I haven't seen the movie with real people playing the characters as mom won't allow it in the house. She says its a "travesty". The grinch is really mean at first, but than becomes nice. I love Max the dog because he is so cute and funny. I like reading the words to because they rhyme and are silly.

Jake's Rating: 10/10

Mom's Review: One of the best children's books every written and quite frankly it is impossible to put into words the total brilliance of this book. My Dad used to read this book to me all the time so each time I see it I am reminded of him. He was brilliant at voices and read it to us in a voice very close to Boris Karloff's. The story is funny and the moral so cleverly done that your children will get the point without feeling like they are being preached too. Like Jake I love the movie even more because it brought the story to life. I too love Max as he is the heart and soul of the cartoon. Still the book is a classic on its own and should be owned by everybody - whether you have kids or not. And by the way that live action movie is a travesty and will NEVER be let into this house - so deal with it Jake.

Mom's Rating: 100/10 - CLASSIC!!!! ( )

This is about an outcast who hates Christmas. Thinking that the gifts and decorations are what make Christmas, he plots to steal them all from the residents or Whoville. When this fails to dampen the spirits of the Whos, he learns the true meaning of Christmas. ( )

Summary: Cindy Lou is having trouble deciding what Christmas is really all about. She learns her lesson through helping people see what the Grinch is truly like. All this happens while the grinch steals christmas from the who's of whoville. In the end he returns all the gifts and food, and they enjoy the holiday together remembering the true reason that they celebrate the holiday.

Genre: fantasy

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" is a fun and heartwarming story about the outcasted grinch who hates Christmas and how all the people in Whoville love Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the grinch sneaks down to Whoville and steals all their Christmas decorations, presents, and food. The grinch is stunned when the citizens of Whoville gather together the following morning and although disappointed, they all join together in celebrating Christmas. The grinch befriends a young Whoville resident, Cindy Lou Who, who helps the grinch see what Christmas is really about.

This story is a classic. The story is unique and although the pictures are limited in color, they are wonderful. ( )

This is a good book to read to students during the Christmas time. It starts the spirit of christmas and helps the children get excited about christmas. I recommend this book to every teacher to read to their class the day before christmas break. ( )

This story was written in 1957 that kids still love to this day. It the story of Who-ville where a mean old grinch lives. He hates Christmas and wants to take everything away. He steals everything, but ralizes after its all gone, the who's still sing and celebrate. This is a grea book that could be used during Christmas time or Dr. Seuss week. ( )

This book is a classic Dr. Seuss story. It's about the Grinch and how much he despises Christmas. However, down in Whoville, everyone loves Christmas. Through the innocency and love of Cindy Lou Who, the Grinch grows a heart. He then turns out to absolutely love Christmas. The people of Whoville even let him carve the "roast beast" at their Christmas celebration. ( )

In the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas we learn about the Grinch who lives in Whoville who doesn't like Christmas at all. He hates that the people town in the village enjoy their Christmas morning so much so he comes up with a plan to stop the Who's. He goes into the town on Christmas eve and steals everyone's decorations, trees and gifts!! He runs into a little girl that night who asks the Grinch dressed as Santa clause why he is taking her things. He tricks little Cindy and she goes back to bed. The next day the Grinch awakes to see that the people in whoville still get together and sing on Christmas morning evening with everything being taken from their homes! finally the Grinch understands that Christmas isn't about the gifts and the parties but about the love to one another and the importance of family. A great holiday classic. ( )

This book is by far a classic, fun to read and great pictures that make the holidays swirl with fun and excitement. ( )