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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Dr. Seuss Get the book
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

by Dr. Seuss

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" is a rhyming children's picture book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), first published in 1957. It tells of the Grinch, a bitter, solitary creature whose heart is "two… more

First published 1957 · 64 pages · English

5 quotes ★ 4.39 (453,332) Classics

Quotes from the Book

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.
And he, he himself...the Grinch...carved the roast-beast!
Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly, Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimbley!

Did you know?

  • The story was first published in Redbook magazine in December 1957, the same year Random House released it as a book.
  • Dr. Seuss was 53 when he wrote it, the same age he gave the Grinch for enduring the Whos' celebrations.
  • The original first edition was printed using just two ink colors, red and black.
  • The 1966 animated television special was narrated by horror-film star Boris Karloff, who also voiced the Grinch.
  • The book's popularity gave the English language the word "grinch" as a term for a joyless person who spoils others' fun.

About Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss, was an American author and illustrator best known for his whimsical, rhyming children's books such as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. His work reshaped early-reader literature and has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.

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More by Dr. Seuss

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About the book

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" is a rhyming children's picture book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), first published in 1957. It tells of the Grinch, a bitter, solitary creature whose heart is "two sizes too small," who lives on a mountain just north of the cheerful town of Whoville and despises the Whos' noisy, joyful Christmas celebrations. Disguising himself as Santa Claus and enlisting his dog Max as a makeshift reindeer, he creeps down into Whoville on Christmas Eve and steals every present, decoration, and scrap of holiday feast he can find.

When Christmas morning arrives and the Grinch expects to hear the Whos weeping over their losses, he instead hears them singing joyfully together, having lost nothing that truly mattered to them. This revelation transforms him: he realizes that "maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more," his heart grows three sizes, and he returns everything he took, joining the Whos at their celebration.

Told in Seuss's signature galloping anapestic verse and invented vocabulary, the book is a pointed, gentle satire of the commercialization of Christmas and an affirmation that the holiday's meaning lies in community and spirit rather than in material goods. It has become a fixture of the American Christmas canon, spawning the beloved 1966 animated television special narrated by Boris Karloff and later feature-film adaptations, and the word "grinch" has entered common usage as a term for a joyless spoiler of festivities.

Key characters

  • The GrinchBitter, green recluse whose heart is "two sizes too small" and who tries to stop Christmas
  • MaxThe Grinch's loyal dog, disguised as a reindeer for the theft
  • Cindy-Lou WhoA small Who girl who catches the Grinch in the act of stealing the tree
  • The WhosThe joyful residents of Whoville who love Christmas

Book details

First published
1957
Length
64 pages
Reading time
1 hour
Author
Dr. Seuss
Goodreads rating
4.39 (453k ratings) →
First line
“Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot... But the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!”

Movie & TV adaptations

  • IMDb
    How the Grinch Stole Christmas! 1966

    Animated TV special narrated by Boris Karloff

  • IMDb
    How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000

    Live-action film starring Jim Carrey

  • IMDb
    The Grinch 2018

    Animated film with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch

If you liked this, read…

  1. 1
    A Christmas CarolAnother tale of a cold-hearted miser transformed by the spirit of Christmas
  2. 2
    The Cat in the HatDr. Seuss's rhyming mischief-maker classic in the same playful verse style
  3. 3
    The Polar ExpressA beloved illustrated Christmas picture book celebrating belief and holiday wonder
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Dr. Seuss Get the book
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