written in rhyme
d verse
with illustrations by the author. It was published as a book by Random House
in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook
. Critics argue that the book criticizes the commercialization of Christmas and satirizes those who profit from exploiting the holiday.
The Grinch, a fictional, bitter, cave-dwelling creature with a heart
"two sizes too small", lives on snowy Mount Crumpit, a steep, 3000 feet (914.4 m) high mountain
just north of Whoville, home of the merry and warm-hearted Whos.
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not.The Grinch hated Christmas — the whole Christmas season.Oh, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason.It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.It could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right.But I think that the best reason of allMay have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they sayThat the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!And then the true meaning of Christmas came through,And the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches… plus two.
Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer.Cheer to all Whos far and near.Christmas Day is in our graspso long as we have hands to clasp.Christmas Day will always beJust as long as we have we.Welcome, Christmas, while we standHeart to heart,... and hand in hand.