How the Grinch lost Christmas by Dr. Seuss

A wonderfully infectious rhyming text about Grinch wanting to share his newly found love of Christmas will delight younger readers as it is read out to them or they tackle it for themselves. Most children will have heard of the Grinch and many will have read the first book, How the Grinch stole Christmas (1957) by Dr Seuss, so will be intrigued with the sequel by Heim and Ruiz, using the same style as Seuss, which shows another aspect of Grinch’s character.  He still lives in a cave on Mt Crumpet, and has realised that he loves Christmas and wants to show his new attitude to the people of Who-ville, a village at the bottom of the mountain. After seeing a Christmas Tree competition on a poster he heads to Who-wood and selects a tree. He decorates it with an array of baubles and ribbons, tinsel and bunches of bows, anything reddish or green is to be added.

He takes it to the village ready for the competition the next day, Christmas Day and is dumbfounded when his tree is judged second. He takes his tree and trudges back to his cave, his heart growing colder the higher he climbed. But Cindy-Lou calls out to him, asking him to put a decoration on her tree just as all the other residents of Who-ville had done.

He thinks about it and his heart grows warmer as he realises that she has included him as a resident of the village. He goes back and places his offering on the tree, and helps crown the winner, Cindy-Lou.

A heart warming story for Christmas, showing the positive aspects of sharing, not only the tree and its decorations, but the coming together of people, particularly those who have been neglected or isolated. This story will find fans amongst all those who love Seuss’s work, and also those looking for a Christmas book which supports the virtues that Christmas inspires.

Themes: Christmas, Dr Seuss, Sharing, Christmas tree, Inclusivity, Competition.

Fran Knight