How the Grinch Steals Readers' Hearts

Like most Americans, I enjoyed Dr. Seuss as a child. To peruse such works like Horton Hears A Who! and Green Eggs and Ham was to enter an enchanting world where a wocket could be found in a pocket, where an elephant could hatch an egg, and where a boy named Bartholomew Cubbins discovered he wore five hundred hats. I also enjoyed The Cat in the Hat Beginner Dictionary, developing my vocabulary in the process.

One childhood favorite of mine was How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. My earlier remembered exposure to this story was Chuck Jones's animated adaption on television but I soon read the book and found it equally delightful. I especially enjoyed Dr. Seuss's illustration of the Grinch. I knew he was evil, but even at his most sinister, he never frightened me. I suppose it's because I found him too fanciful to be frightening and because despite his sinister intentions, he failed to hurt anyone and ultimately reformed.

Even as an adult, I find this book a magical experience. If anyone, young or old, isn't enraptured by this tale, it is likely because he or she, like the Grinch, has a heart two sizes too small. What bewitching illustrations of Seuss's, conveying both the joyful village of Whoville with the congenial Whos and the desolate forest north of Whoville where the misanthropic Grinch lives. It doesn't matter that the color palette is limited; the drawings are so vivid they enliven the story and hold the readers' attention. And what a delightful rhyming text, which not only helps children read but helps them appreciate poetry.

As practically everyone knows, in this story, the Grinch loathes Christmas because he can't stand the delighted noise the Whos make on that day. Disguised as Santa Claus with his dog Max as a reindeer, the Grinch robs the Whos of all their decorations and presents on Christmas Eve. But despite their lack of material possessions, the Whos still celebrate Christmas. Realizing that Christmas "doesn't come from a store" but is a spiritual celebration of goodwill towards each other, the moved Grinch returns the materials he stole and participates in the Yuletide celebration. Dr. Seuss adroitly delivers his message of the true meaning of Christmas without any overt preaching. It is most effectively demonstrated in the drawings- the Whos hand in hand happily singing and the Grinch's astonishment over this. He knew that to most effectively provide a lesson, one must not merely tell it but show it with concrete examples.

Dr. Seuss is long gone, but his legacy thrives in his books, particularly How the Grinch Stole Christmas! This book will always be timeless because the true meaning of Christmas is essential for both children and adults in order to encourage them to be more giving and selfless.