Christmas Reads – Day 2 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The plan for today was to talk about The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder but then I sold a copy of ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ to a very nice lady and, when I was talking to her about it, I realised that I’d rather write about that instead.
I’m a big fan of Dr. Seuss. I think his rhyming books are brilliant for new readers and for reading aloud. There’s a particularly wonderful reading of this one by Walter Matthau, which you can listen to on YouTube.
The Grinch hates Christmas and everything related to it. Working in retail, I can relate. Sometimes, at the end of a long shift, when it’s late and the store is a mess and I still have to make my way home, I don’t feel very Christmassy at all.
The Grinch decides that, since he can’t enjoy Christmas, he’ll make sure that no-one else does either but things don’t go the way he expects.
I love that this story tells children that Christmas is not about stuff. Presents, Christmas trees and food are not the REAL meaning of Christmas. I’m not a particularly religious person but I love the idea that being together with the people you love (even if there are no presents) is what makes Christmas special.
This is a story to keep with your Christmas decorations and bring out and reread year after year.
