How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic tale about greed,
materialism, and the kindness of man for his fellow man all wrapped
up in one great big package! The illustrations are wonderful and
the rhyming text impresses me. This is a story by Dr. Seuss that is
so popular it was made into a Christmastime TV special; and it
deserves every bit of recognition that it gets. (Note: this story
is very popular; and because many, many people know it all the way
through there are spoilers in this review.)
When the story begins we are introduced to the Grinch. He hates
Christmas with all celebrations down in "Who-ville," a village he
can see from his home on a mountain. The Grinch hates the noise,
the caroling, the sharing of presents and the feast of "roast
beast."
Eventually the Grinch gets an idea--he dresses up as Santa Claus
and uses his dog Max for a reindeer; and this perverse take on the
real Santa Claus tale is meant to strike people as ugly. The Grinch
comes down from the mountain with his sled and his dog Max made up
to look like a reindeer. Soon the Grinch steals all the presents,
the stocking hung with care on the fireplace mantle, the roast
beast, the Christmas trees--and even the firewood!
The Grinch gets quite a surprise when on Christmas day the "Whos"
of "Who-ville" celebrate and rejoice anyway--without any material
things to mark the holiday spirit. This shocks the Grinch and he
must consider the possibility that Christmas doesn't just "come
from a store."
Of course, once the Grinch learns his lesson he returns everything
and there's quite a huge celebration with the Grinch leading the
way as he carves the "roast beast." It's a very positive ending.
The moral of the story for our children is, of course, that
Christmas DOESN'T just come from a store. The importance of
Christmas with its religious significance and its message of good
will toward all mankind is stressed without banging the child on
the head too aggressively. The story overall makes for a
fascinating experience for the children. I have many fond memories
of watching this TV special and reading this book when I was a very
young child.
As with many Dr. Seuss books, children can use this book on a
concrete, literal level to improve their vocabulary and reading
skills. Older kids will learn the importance of Christmas and the
need for all mankind to respect each other and share the beauties
of the world together.
I highly recommend this exceptional children's book.