How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! - Wikipedia How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! This article is about the book by Dr. Seuss. For other uses, see How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( disambiguation ). How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! Book cover Author Dr. Seuss Country United States Language English Genre Children 's literature Publisher Redbook ( magazine ) Random House ( book ) Publication date October 12, 1957 ( Redbook ) November 24, 1957 ( renewed 1985 ) Media type Print Pages 69 ISBN 0 - 394 - 80079 - 6 OCLC 178325 How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! is a children 's story by Theodor `` Dr. Seuss '' Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who attempts to put an end to Christmas by stealing Christmas - themed items from the homes of the nearby town Whoville on Christmas Eve. Despite his efforts, Whoville 's inhabitants still celebrate the holiday, so the Grinch returns everything that he stole and is the guest of honor at the Whos ' Christmas dinner. The story was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook. The book criticizes the commercialization of Christmas. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named it one of its `` Teachers ' Top 100 Books for Children ''. In 2012 it was ranked number 61 among the `` Top 100 Picture Books '' in a survey published by School Library Journal -- the fourth of five Dr. Seuss books on the list. The book was adapted as a Christmas special twice, a 1966 animated TV film starring Boris Karloff as both the narrator and the voice of the Grinch and a 2000 live - action feature film starring Jim Carrey. There will also be a computer - animated film adaptation, starring Benedict Cumberbatch scheduled for release on November 9, 2018. Contents 1 Plot 2 Creation and publication 3 Reception 4 Analysis 5 Adaptations 6 Legacy 7 Notes 8 Sources 9 External links Plot The Grinch is a bitter, grumpy, cave - dwelling creature with a heart `` two sizes too small '' who is living as a hermit on the snowy Mount Crumpit, a steep high mountain just north of the town of Whoville, home of the merry and warm - hearted Whos. His only companion is his unloved, but loyal dog, Max. From his cave, the Grinch can hear the noisy Christmas festivities that take place in Whoville. Continuously annoyed, he decides to devise a wicked scheme by stealing their presents, trees, and food for their Christmas feast. He crudely disguises himself as Santa Claus, and forces Max, disguised as a reindeer, to drag a sleigh down the mountain towards Whoville. Once at Whoville, the Grinch slides down the chimney of one house and steals all of the Whos ' Christmas presents, the Christmas tree, and the log for their fire. He is briefly interrupted in his burglary by Cindy Lou, a little Who girl, but concocts a crafty lie to effect his escape from her home. After stealing from one house, he does the same thing to all the other houses in the village of Whoville. After spending all night stealing stuff from the houses of Whoville, the Grinch prepares his journey back to Mount Crumpit, and intends to dump all of the Christmas stuff into the abyss, but Max, utilizing every last of his strength to pull the sleigh upward, causes the sleigh to get stuck on a cliff. As dawn arrives, the Grinch expects the people in Whoville to let out bitter and sorrowful cries, but is confused to hear them singing a joyous Christmas song instead. He puzzles for a moment until it dawns on him that `` maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more '' than just presents and feasting. The Grinch 's shrunken heart suddenly grows three sizes. The reformed and liberated Grinch begins having second thoughts, and returns to the village to give back all of the Whos ' Christmas stuff. The Grinch is warmly invited to the Whos ' feast, where he has the honor of carving the Roast Beast. Creation and publication Dr. Seuss working on How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! in early 1957. The Grinch first appeared in a 32 - line illustrated poem by Dr. Seuss called `` The Hoobub and the Grinch, '' which was originally published in the May 1955 edition of Redbook magazine. Dr. Seuss began work on How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! a couple years later, around the beginning of 1957. He had recently completed The Cat in the Hat and was in the midst of founding Beginner Books with Phyllis and Bennett Cerf and his wife, Helen Palmer Geisel. Helen, who had ongoing medical problems and had suffered a small stroke in April 1957, nevertheless acted as an unofficial editor, as she had with previous Dr. Seuss books. Dr. Seuss wrote the book quickly and was mostly finished with it within a few weeks. Biographers Judith and Neil Morgan wrote, `` It was the easiest book of his career to write, except for its conclusion. '' According to Dr. Seuss, `` I got hung up getting the Grinch out of the mess. I got into a situation where I sounded like a second - rate preacher or some biblical truisim... Finally in desperation... without making any statement whatever, I showed the Grinch and the Whos together at the table, and made a pun of the Grinch carving the ' roast beast. '... I had gone through thousands of religious choices, and then after three months it came out like that. '' By mid-May 1957, the book was finished and in the mail to the Random House offices in New York. In June, the Dr. Seuss and his wife took a month - long vacation to Hawaii, where he checked and returned the book 's galley proof. The book debuted in December 1957, in both a book version published by Random House and in an issue of Redbook. Dr. Seuss dedicated the book to Theodor `` Teddy '' Owens, the one - year - old son of his niece, Peggy Owens. Reception M.S. Libby, writing in the New York Herald Tribune, compared the book favorably to Dr. Seuss 's earlier works : `` His peculiar and original genius in line and word is always the same, yet, so rich are the variations he plays on his themes, always fresh and amusing. '' Kirkus Reviews wrote, `` Youngsters will be in transports over the goofy gaiety of Dr. Seuss 's first book about a villain. '' The reviewer called the Grinch `` easily the best Christmas - cad since Scrooge. '' Ellen Lewis Buell, in her review in The New York Times, praised the book 's handling of its moral, as well as its illustrations and verse. She wrote, `` Even if you prefer Dr. Seuss in a purely antic mood, you must admit that if there 's a moral to be pointed out, no one can do it more gaily. The reader is swept along by the ebullient rhymes and the weirdly zany pictures until he is limp with relief when the Grinch reforms and, like the latter, mellow with good feelings. '' The review for The Saturday Review of Literature stated : `` The inimitable Dr. Seuss has brought off a fresh triumph in his new picture book... The verse is as lively and the pages are as bright and colorful as anyone could wish. '' The reviewer suggested that parents and older siblings reading the book to young children would also enjoy its moral and humor. Charlotte Jackson of the San Francisco Chronicle called the book `` wonderful fantasy, in the true Dr. Seuss manner, with pictures in the Christmas colors. '' Analysis Some writers, including Dr. Seuss himself, have made a connection between the Grinch and Dr. Seuss. In the story, the Grinch laments that he has had to put up with the Whos ' celebration of Christmas for 53 years. As both Thomas Fensch and Charles Cohen note, Dr. Seuss was 53 when he wrote and published the book. Dr. Seuss himself asserted the connection in an article in the December 1957 edition of Redbook : `` I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noticed a very Grinch - ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss ! So I wrote about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I 'd lost. '' Seuss 's step - daughter, Lark Dimond - Cates, stated in a speech in 2003, `` I always thought the Cat... was Ted on his good days, and the Grinch was Ted on his bad days. '' Cohen notes that Seuss drove a car with a license plate that read `` GRINCH ''. Thomas Fensch notes that the Grinch is the first adult and the first villain to be a main character in a Dr. Seuss book. Adaptations The book has been adapted into a variety of media, including stage and film. Chuck Jones and Ben Washam ( Co-Director ) adapted the story as an animated special in 1966, featuring narration by Boris Karloff, who also provided the Grinch 's voice. Thurl Ravenscroft sang `` You 're a Mean One Mr. Grinch '' with lyrics written by Dr. Seuss himself. A musical stage version was produced by the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, in 1998. It also was produced on Broadway and a limited - engagement US tour in 2008. The North American Tour began in the fall of 2010 and has subsequently toured every fall since. It will begin its 6th tour in October 2015. In 2000, the book was adapted into a live - action film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Illumination Entertainment is also developing a 3D animated feature film, titled The Grinch with Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney set to direct it and Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 10, 2017, but in June 2016, it was pushed back to November 9, 2018. Several audio recordings and audio - visual adaptations of the book have also been published. In 1975, Zero Mostel narrated an LP record of the story. In 1992, Random House Home Video released an updated animated version of the book narrated by Walter Matthau. In 2009, an interactive e-book version was released for the iPhone. The book was adapted into a 13 - minute song, performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, arranged by Danny Troob, and featuring bassist Reid Burton and actor Will LeBow narrating it on the Boston Pops 's 2013 CD, `` A Boston Pops Christmas -- Live from Symphony Hall with Keith Lockhart ''. As of 2005, the book had been translated into nine languages, including Latin as Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit : How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Latin by Jennifer Morrish Tunberg with the assistance of Terence O. Tunberg. The translation was published in October 1998 by Bolchazy - Carducci Publishers Inc. Legacy Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! one of its `` Teachers ' Top 100 Books for Children ''. In 2012 it was ranked number 61 among the `` Top 100 Picture Books '' in a survey published by School Library Journal -- the fourth of five Dr. Seuss books on the list. The Grinch appears in the animated specials Halloween Is Grinch Night and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat and he and Max also appear in the puppet children 's show The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Max, appear in Seussical, a musical which takes it plot from several Dr. Seuss books. Notes Jump up ^ Zielinski, Stan ( 2006 - 06 - 20 ). `` Collecting Children 's Picturebooks : Dr. Seuss -- Redbook Magazine Original Stories ''. 1stedition.net. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 09. Jump up ^ Nel 2004, p. 130. Jump up ^ Nel 2004, p. 117 ^ Jump up to : Morgan & Morgan 1995, pp. 157 -- 58. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1988, p. 92. Jump up ^ Nel 2004, p. 118. ^ Jump up to : Fensch 2001, pp. 128 -- 29. ^ Jump up to : Fensch 2001, p. 126. ^ Jump up to : Cohen 2004, p. 330. Jump up ^ Hart, William B. ( December 1957 ). `` Between the Lines ''. Redbook. access - date = requires url = ( help ) as quoted in Cohen 2004, p. 330 Jump up ^ Dimond - Cates, Lark ( October 27, 2003 ). Speech by Lark Dimond - Cates ( Speech ). United States Postal Service 's unveiling of Theodor Seuss Geisel stamp. Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, Springfield, Massachusetts. as quoted in Cohen 2004, p. 321 Jump up ^ Lindemann 2005, p. 124 Jump up ^ Morgan & Morgan 1995, pp. 190 -- 92 Jump up ^ http://www.grinchmusical.com/ Jump up ^ `` How the Grinch Stole Christmas ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 9 March 2015. Jump up ^ Kit, Borys ( February 7, 2013 ). `` ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ' Remake in the Works at Universal ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2013. Jump up ^ Kroll, Justin ( April 13, 2016 ). `` Benedict Cumberbatch to Voice the Grinch in ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ' ''. Variety. Jump up ^ `` Universal Dates ' Despicable Me 3, ' New ' Grinch Who Stole Christmas ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. 2011 - 11 - 17. Retrieved 2014 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Kroll, Justin ( June 7, 2016 ). `` Illumination 's ' The Grinch ' Pushed Back to 2018 ''. Variety. Retrieved June 7, 2016. Jump up ^ Lindemann 2005, p. 139 Jump up ^ Lindemann 2005, p. 125 Jump up ^ Broida, Rick. `` ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ' dazzles on iPhone ''. Cnet. Retrieved 4 December 2013. Jump up ^ Lindemann 2005, pp. 31 -- 33 Jump up ^ Reardon, Patrick ( 15 December 1998 ). `` How the Grinch Went Latin ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2015. Jump up ^ National Education Association ( 2007 ). `` Teachers ' Top 100 Books for Children ''. Retrieved August 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Bird, Elizabeth ( July 6, 2012 ). `` Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results ''. A Fuse # 8 Production. Blog. School Library Journal ( blog.schoollibraryjournal.com ). Retrieved August 19, 2012. Sources Cohen, Charles ( 2004 ). The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and Nothing But the Seuss : A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel. Random House. ISBN 978 - 0375822483. Fensch, Thomas ( 2001 ). The Man Who Was Dr. Seuss. Woodlands : New Century Books. ISBN 0 - 930751 - 11 - 6. Lindemann, Richard ( 2005 ). The Dr. Seuss Catalog : An Annotated Guide to Works by Theodor Geisel in All Media, Writings About Him, and Appearances of Characters and Places in the Books, Stories and Films. McFarland & Company. MacDonald, Ruth ( 1988 ). Dr. Seuss. Twayne Publishers. ISBN 0 - 8057 - 7524 - 2. Morgan, Neil ; Morgan, Judith Giles ( 1996 ). Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel : a biography. New York : Da Capo Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 306 - 80736 - 7. Nel, Philip ( 2004 ). Dr. Seuss : American Icon. Continuum Publishing. ISBN 0 - 8264 - 1434 - 6. Pease, Donald E. ( 2010 ). Theodor Seuss Geisel. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 532302 - 3. External links Children 's literature portal Christmas portal 1950s portal Grinch at Don Markstein 's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Dr. Seuss Characters The Cat in the Hat The Grinch Horton the Elephant Bartholomew Cubbins Bibliography And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins The King 's Stilts The Seven Lady Godivas Horton Hatches the Egg McElligot 's Pool Thidwick the Big - Hearted Moose Bartholomew and the Oobleck If I Ran the Zoo Scrambled Eggs Super ! Horton Hears a Who ! On Beyond Zebra ! If I Ran the Circus How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! The Cat in the Hat The Cat in the Hat Comes Back Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Happy Birthday to You ! Green Eggs and Ham One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish The Sneetches and Other Stories Dr. Seuss 's Sleep Book Dr. Seuss 's ABC Fox in Socks Hop on Pop I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew Come over to My House The Foot Book I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today ! and Other Stories My Book about ME Mr. Brown Can Moo ! Can You ? : Dr. Seuss 's Book of Wonderful Noises ! The Lorax Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now ! Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are ? The Shape of Me and Other Stuff Wacky Wednesday Great Day for Up ! Oh, the Thinks You Can Think ! The Cat 's Quizzer I Can Read with My Eyes Shut ! Oh Say Can You Say ? Hunches in Bunches The Butter Battle Book You 're Only Old Once ! I Am Not Going to Get Up Today ! Oh, the Places You 'll Go ! There 's a Wocket in My Pocket I Wish That I Had Duck Feet Daisy - Head Mayzie My Many Colored Days Hooray for Diffendoofer Day ! The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories What Pet Should I Get ? Adaptations Television The Gerald McBoing - Boing Show ( 1956 -- 57 ) Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! ( 1966 ) Horton Hears a Who ! ( 1970 ) The Cat in the Hat ( 1971 ) The Lorax ( 1972 ) Dr. Seuss on the Loose ( 1973 ) The Hoober - Bloob Highway ( 1975 ) Halloween Is Grinch Night ( 1977 ) Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You ? ( 1980 ) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat ( 1982 ) The Butter Battle Book ( 1989 ) In Search of Dr. Seuss ( 1994 ) Daisy - Head Mayzie ( 1995 ) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss ( 1996 -- 98 ) ( episodes ) Gerald McBoing - Boing ( 2005 -- 07 ) The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That ! ( 2010 -- present ) ( episodes ) Green Eggs and Ham ( 2018 ) Film Horton Hatches the Egg ( short ; 1942 ) Gerald McBoing - Boing ( short ; 1950 ) How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( 2000 ) The Cat in the Hat ( 2003 ) Horton Hears a Who ! ( 2008 ) The Lorax ( 2012 ) The Grinch ( 2018 ) The Cat in the Hat ( TBA ) Other media Welcome ( Russian short film ) Seussical ( musical ) Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! The Musical The Grinch ( video game ) Dr. Seuss : How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! ( video game ) `` You 're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch '' ( song ) The Lorax ( play ) Other works Private Snafu The Pocket Book of Boners Your Job in Germany Our Job in Japan Design for Death The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Hejji Society of Red Tape Cutters Flit Related A Fish out of Water Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum Beginner Books Dr. Seuss Goes to War The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss Dr. Seuss National Memorial Geisel Award Geisel Library Geisel School of Medicine Helen Palmer PM Political messages of Dr. Seuss Read Across America Seuss Landing as `` Theo. LeSieg ''. Posthumous. Dr. Seuss 's How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! Characters Grinch Book How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! ( 1957 ) Music `` You 're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch '' ( 1966 ) Adaptations Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! ( 1966, TV special ) Halloween Is Grinch Night ( 1977, TV special ) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat ( 1982, TV special ) Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! The Musical ( 1994 ) Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( 2000 live action film ) Dr. Seuss ' The Grinch ( 2018 animated film ) Related Dr. Seuss Memorial Christmas Christmas Eve Children 's Day Boxing Day Nochebuena Saint Nicholas Day St. Stephen 's Day Sol Invictus Yule In Christianity Biblical Magi Adoration of the Magi Adoration of the Shepherds Advent Angel Gabriel Annunciation Annunciation to the shepherds Baptism of the Lord Bethlehem Christingle Christmastide Epiphany Herod the Great Jesus Joseph Mary Massacre of the Innocents flight into Egypt Nativity Fast Nativity of Jesus in art in later culture Nativity scene Saint Nicholas Star of Bethlehem Twelfth Night In folklore Badalisc La Befana Belsnickel Caganer Christkind Ded Moroz Elves Father Christmas Grýla Jack Frost Joulupukki Knecht Ruprecht Korvatunturi Krampus Mikulás Miner 's figure Mrs. Claus Nisse / Tomte North Pole Old Man Winter Olentzero Père Fouettard Père Noël Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer Saint Lucy Santa 's reindeer Santa 's workshop Sinterklaas Tió de Nadal Vertep Yule Cat Yule Lads Zwarte Piet Gift - bringers Saint Nicholas Santa Claus List of Christmas gift - bringers by country Traditions Advent calendar Advent candle Advent wreath Boar 's Head Feast Candle arches Cards Carols by Candlelight Cavalcade of Magi Crackers Decorations Events and celebrations Feast of the Seven Fishes Flying Santa Google Santa Tracker Hampers Las Posadas Letters Lights Lord of Misrule Markets Meals and feasts Moravian star Nine Lessons and Carols NORAD Tracks Santa Nutcrackers dolls Ornaments Parades list Piñatas Pyramids Räuchermann Seals Secret Santa Spanbaum Stamps Stockings Tree Twelve Days Wassailing Windows Yule Goat Yule log By country Australia and New Zealand Denmark Germany Hawaii Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Mexico Norway Philippines Poland Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Sweden Ukraine Music Carols list Hit singles UK Hit singles US Music books Carols for Choirs The Oxford Book of Carols The New Oxford Book of Carols Piae Cantiones Other media Films Poetry `` Old Santeclaus with Much Delight '' `` A Visit from St. Nicholas '' Television specials Yule Log In modern society Advent Conspiracy Black Friday ( partying ) Black Friday ( shopping ) Bronner 's Christmas Wonderland Christmas club Christmas creep Christmas Day ( Trading ) Act 2004 Christmas Lectures Christmas Mountains Christmas truce Controversies Cyber Monday Economics Giving Tuesday El Gordo Holiday season In July In August Leon Day NBA games NFL games Puritan New England American Civil War Post-War United States Running of the Santas SantaCon Santa 's Candy Castle Small Business Saturday Super Saturday Virginia O'Hanlon White Christmas Winter festivals WWE Tribute to the Troops Xmas Food and drink Dinner Joulupöytä Julebord Kūčios Réveillon Twelve - dish supper Smörgåsbord Wigilia Sweets bûche de Noël Cake Candy cane Cookies Fruitcake Gingerbread Kourabiedes Melomakarono Mince pie Pavlova Pecan pie Pumpkin pie Pudding Rosca de reyes Szaloncukor Turrón Soup Menudo Sauce Cranberry sauce Beverages Apple cider Champurrado Eggnog Mulled wine Smoking Bishop Ponche crema Dumpling Hallaca Tamale Meat Ham Roast goose Romeritos Turkey Stuffing Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas!&oldid=830549224 '' Categories : 1957 books Books adapted into films Books by Dr. Seuss Christmas children 's books Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cymraeg Deutsch Español Esperanto Français Italiano Polski Português Русский Simple English Українська 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 15 March 2018, at 14 : 42. 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Question: who is the protagonist in how the grinch stole christmas
Answer: the Grinch