Horton Hears a Who!

All Ages

Birth - 12 months

Horton Hears a Who!

by Dr Seuss

Horton, the lovable elephant, tries to protect tiny creatures on a speck of dust. An easy reader with delightful verse and pictures.

Age: 5 Year-olds | Title: Horton Hears a Who! | Author: Dr Seuss | Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Horton, the lovable elephant, tries to protect tiny creatures on a speck of dust. An easy reader with delightful verse and pictures.

Why we chose this book

This is a classic story of friendship, loyalty and persistence all wrapped up in the character of a lovable elephant protagonist. One of the best examples of Dr. Seuss' brilliant ability to combine story and rhyme, this book will have children wanting to read it again and again. Perfect for early elementary school kids who will likely have the patience to sit through a somewhat-lengthy book, this story can also be shared with younger children by breaking up the story into shorter sections of appropriate lengths for your child.

There are no shortage of messages embedded within the book especially those regarding kindness and consideration for others - a superb topic of discussion for five-year-olds about to enter kindergarten. As Horton struggles with the other jungle animals in an effort to protect his beloved Who-friends, parents can explain loyalty and the importance of looking out for your pals. It's also a lesson in trying your hardest to make a difference. If you can't imagine how the action of a single person could make a difference this story may well provide a revelation.

I shared this story with Emily, the three-year-old I babysit. She immediately latched onto the lesson of trying. "Just try," she liked to say. She rooted for the Whos as their mayor called to action every last citizen in an attempt to save the speck they lived on. Emily and I also talked about kindness. The kangaroo may not have been very nice to Horton at the beginning of the book, yet they eventually became friends. Emily may be a little younger than the book's target audience - certain aspects were surely lost on her - but she enjoyed it nonetheless and requested that it be read several times.

--Abby

About the author

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring Quick, Henry, the Flit!, appeared in several leading American magazines.

Dr. Seuss's first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, hit the market in 1937, and the world of children's literature was changed forever!
In 1957, Seuss's The Cat in the Hat became the prototype for one of Random House's best - selling series, Beginner Books. This popular series combined engaging stories with outrageous illustrations and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills. Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books, some of which have been made into audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos for children of all ages. Even after his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.