Grinch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Grinch |
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| Grinch character | |
The Grinch with his pet dog/best friend Max.
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| First appearance | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957) |
| Created by | Dr. Seuss |
| Designed by | Dr. Seuss |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Max (pet dog/best friend) |
| Spouse(s) | Martha May Whovier (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) |
The Grinch is a famous character created by the author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss. He is best known as the main character in the 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Grinch is a grumpy, green creature who lives high above the cheerful town of Whoville. He is famous for trying to stop Christmas, but he learns a very important lesson about the true meaning of the holiday. Many actors have brought the Grinch to life, both with their voices and in live-action movies, including Boris Karloff, Jim Carrey, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
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The Grinch's Personality and Appearance
The Grinch is a green, furry creature with a round belly and a cat-like face. He has a small, snub nose and usually looks quite grumpy! He has spent many years living all alone on a tall cliff that looks down on the happy town of Whoville.
Unlike the joyful Whos, the Grinch is often unfriendly and has a bad temper. He doesn't like people very much. People in Whoville often wonder why he is so mean. They say his heart is "two sizes too small."
The Grinch especially dislikes the Christmas season. He finds the loud music, big dinners, and singing Christmas carols very annoying. He can't stand the holiday, so he decides to stop it from coming.
The Grinch's Big Plan
With help from his loyal dog, Max, the Grinch puts on a red suit to look like Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, while everyone in Whoville is sleeping, he sneaks into their homes. He steals all their presents, decorations, and food, planning to throw it all off a nearby mountain.
Even after he steals everything, the Grinch is surprised. On Christmas morning, he hears the Whos still singing happily. They are joyful just to have each other, showing that Christmas is more than just gifts. This makes the Grinch realize something important: Christmas has a deeper meaning he never understood.
Inspired by the Whos' spirit, his heart grows "three sizes" that day! He quickly saves all the stolen items from falling and brings them back to Whoville. The Grinch then happily joins the Whos in their Christmas celebration.
Grinch's Strength and Backstory
The Grinch is often shown as a strong character. In the animated TV special and the 2000 live-action movie, he shows amazing strength. He can stop a sleigh full of presents from falling off a cliff and lift it over his head!
In Dr. Seuss's original book, "no one quite knows the reason" for the Grinch's grudge. However, the 2000 movie gives him a backstory. It shows that he was left alone as a baby in Whoville and felt ignored during a Christmas party. He was raised by two Who women but was bullied at school. He tried to impress a girl named Martha May Whovier by making a special Christmas tree-topper. But when he was laughed at by others, he became very resentful of Christmas.
The TV special The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat suggests that his mother's absence made him sad. When the Grinch is finally provoked to grieve at the end of that special, he returns to being good.
The Grinch's Journey Through Time
The word 'Grinch' first appeared in a Dr. Seuss book in 1953, in Scrambled Eggs Super!. It was used to describe a grumpy bird called the "Beagle-Beaked-Bald-Headed Grinch."
The Grinch character we know today first appeared in the 1957 story How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated this book. It was published as a Random House book and also in Redbook magazine.
In 1966, the story became an animated television special. Chuck Jones directed it, and it featured the famous song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." Boris Karloff narrated the story and voiced the Grinch. The Grinch's green color, which we all know, was chosen for this TV special.
Later, Dr. Seuss created more Grinch stories for television. In 1977, there was Halloween Is Grinch Night, where Hans Conried voiced the Grinch. Then, in 1982, came The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, which also featured the Cat in the Hat. Bob Holt voiced the Grinch in this special. Both of these TV films won Emmy Awards.
The Grinch also appeared as a puppet in the 1996 Nick Jr. Channel show The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. Anthony Asbury performed and voiced him.
The Grinch on the Big Screen and Stage
A live-action movie based on the story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, was released in 2000. Ron Howard directed it, and Jim Carrey played the Grinch. This movie was very popular. A video game called The Grinch also came out that year.
The Grinch's story was also turned into a musical in 1994. It even made it to Broadway by way of a limited run in 2006. Icelandic actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson played the Grinch in the musical's tours from 2008 to 2015.
In 2018, Illumination Entertainment made a new animated movie called The Grinch. Benedict Cumberbatch lent his voice to the main character.
On Wednesday, December 9, 2020, NBC aired Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!, a live TV production of the Broadway musical. Matthew Morrison starred as the Grinch.
In 2023, a new video game called "The Grinch: Christmas Adventure" was developed. In this game, you can play as both the Grinch and his dog Max, going through 18 levels in Whoville to steal Christmas presents.
Who Has Played the Grinch?
Many talented actors have voiced or played the Grinch over the years. In the 1966 Chuck Jones TV special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Boris Karloff was the voice of the Grinch.
Later, Hans Conried voiced the Grinch in Halloween Is Grinch Night, and Bob Holt voiced him in The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat.
In the 2000 live-action movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jim Carrey played the Grinch. His performance was widely praised by critics. For the 2018 animated film The Grinch, Benedict Cumberbatch provided the voice.
On stage, Stefán Karl Stefánsson played the Grinch in the musical for many years. More recently, Matthew Morrison played the Grinch in the 2020 live TV musical.
The Grinch has also appeared in commercials. David Kaye voiced him for Capital One commercials, and Darin De Paul voiced him for Walmart commercials.
For a complete list of actors who have voiced or portrayed the Grinch, please see the Infobox at the top of this article.
The Grinch in Politics: A Comparison
Sometimes, people compare politicians to the Grinch. This usually happens when they are accused of doing something that might "steal" the joy of Christmas or cause problems during the holiday season.
For example, in 2021, some news commentators on Fox News called President of the United States Joe Biden "the Grinch Who Stole Christmas." They said this because there were delays in getting products imported into the US, which could affect Christmas shopping.
In 2022, Mick Lynch, a leader of a railway union in the UK, was also compared to the Grinch. This was during railway strikes that happened around Christmas time. Some people said he was trying to "steal Christmas" by causing travel disruptions. Lynch responded by saying he was just doing his job as a union official to get a fair deal for workers.
In December 2023, lawyers for Donald Trump compared a special prosecutor, Jack Smith, to the Grinch. This happened in a court document where they argued against a request that would make their legal team work through the holidays. They even quoted from the Grinch story to make their point about disrupting Christmas plans.
See also
In Spanish: El Grinch (personaje) para niños
