Horton Hears a Who! facts for kids
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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August 12, 1954 (renewed 1982) |
| ISBN | 0-394-80078-8 |
| OCLC | 470412 |
| Preceded by | Scrambled Eggs Super! (publication date) Horton Hatches the Egg (plot and characters) |
| Followed by | On Beyond Zebra! |
Horton Hears a Who! is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1954 by Random House. This book tells the story of Horton the Elephant and his adventures saving Whoville, a tiny planet located on a small speck of dust, from the evil animals who mock him. These animals attempt to steal and burn the speck of dust, so Horton goes to great lengths to save Whoville from being incinerated. The book is written in the typical Dr. Seuss rhyme pattern.
"A person's a person, no matter how small" is the most popular line from Horton Hears a Who! and also serves as the major moral theme that Dr. Seuss conveys to his audience. Horton endures harassment to care for and ensure the safety of the Whos, who represent the insignificant. Horton Hears a Who! has been well-received in libraries, schools, and homes across the world. The book has been adapted as a 1970 television special and a 2008 animated film, and much of its plot was incorporated into the Broadway musical production Seussical.
Contents
Background
Geisel began work on Horton Hears a Who! in the fall of 1953. It is his second book to feature Horton the Elephant with the first being Horton Hatches the Egg. The Whos would later reappear in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. The book's main theme, "a person's a person no matter how small", was Geisel's reaction to his visit to Japan, where the importance of the individual was an exciting new concept. Geisel, who had harbored strong anti-Japan sentiments before and during World War II, changed his views dramatically after the war and used this book as an allegory for the American post-war occupation of the country. His comparison of the Whos and the Japanese was a way for him to express his willingness for companionship. Geisel strived to relay the message that the Japanese should be valued equally, especially in a stressful post-war era. He dedicated the book to a Japanese friend.
Plot
The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who, while splashing in a pool, hears a small speck of dust talking to him. Horton surmises that a small person lives on the speck and places it on a clover, vowing to protect it. He later discovers that the speck is actually a tiny planet, home to a community called Whoville, where microscopic creatures called Whos live. The Mayor of Whoville asks Horton to protect them from harm, which Horton happily agrees to, proclaiming throughout the book that "a person’s a person, no matter how small."
Throughout the book, Horton is trying to convince the Jungle of Nool that "A person is a person no matter how small" and that everyone should be treated equally. In his mission to protect the speck, Horton is ridiculed and harassed by the other animals in the jungle for believing in something they can't see or hear. He is first criticized by the sour kangaroo and her joey. The splash they make as they jump into the pool almost reaches the speck, so Horton decides to find somewhere safer for it. But the news of his odd new behavior spreads quickly, and he is soon harassed by the Wickersham Brothers, a group of monkeys. They steal the clover from him and give it to Vlad Vladikoff, a black-bottomed eagle. Vlad flies the clover a long distance, with Horton in pursuit, until Vlad drops it into the middle of a field of clovers that stretches for hundreds of miles.
After an extremely long search, Horton finally finds the clover with the speck on it. However, the Mayor informs him that Whoville, the town on the speck, is in bad shape from the fall, and Horton discovers that the sour kangaroo and the Wickersham Brothers (along with their extended family) have caught up to him. They tie Horton up and threaten to incinerate the speck in a pot of "Beezle-Nut" oil. To save Whoville, Horton implores the little people to make as much noise as they can, to prove their existence. So almost everyone in Whoville shouts, sings, and plays instruments, but still no one but Horton can hear them. So the Mayor searches Whoville until he finds a very small shirker named JoJo, who is playing with a yo-yo instead of making noise. The Mayor carries him to the top of Eiffelberg Tower, where JoJo shouts out a loud "Yopp!", which finally makes the kangaroo and the monkeys hear the Whos. Now convinced of the Whos' existence, the other jungle animals vow to help Horton protect the tiny community..
Genre and style
Horton Hears a Who! is a fictional children's book. Similar to the majority of Dr. Seuss's books, he maintained his consistent rhyme scheme and appealing sketches in Horton Hears a Who! There are only four colors found in the book: black, white, orange, and blue. Even though they are in different shades, this is somewhat unconventional for Dr. Seuss whose books usually use a more energetic and expanded color scheme. Ultimately, it is his intricate and thoughtful rhymes along with his niche illustrations that define his work.
Adaptations in other media
Film
Horton Hears a Who! was adapted into a computer-animated feature-length film of the same name in 2008, using computer animation from Blue Sky Studios, the animation arm of 20th Century Fox. The cast includes Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. It was released on March 14, 2008. The hit movie received 18 award nominations including a Kids' Choice Award, Golden Schmoes Award, and Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The film also won the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Award at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards show.
Stage
The story, along with Horton Hatches the Egg, also provides the basic plot for the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical with "the biggest blame fool in the jungle of Nool," Horton the Elephant, as the main protagonist. Seussical debuted on November 30, 2000, at the famed Richard Rodgers Theatre with high expectations. The music in the play was written by Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The show flopped and eventually closed six months later on May 20, 2001. Known as one of "Broadway's biggest losers," Seussical lost an estimated 11 million dollars. During its time on Broadway, Seussical's Kevin Chamberlin was nominated for one Tony Award (Best Actor in a Musical).
Television special
Horton Hears a Who! was adapted into a half-hour animated TV special by MGM Animation/Visual Arts in 1970. It was directed by Chuck Jones, produced by Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), and narrated by Hans Conried, who also voiced Horton. The Sour Kangaroo's name is Jane while her son is named Junior. Horton's contact in Whoville was not the Mayor, but a scientist named Dr. Hoovie who was also voiced by Hans Conried. Jane was voiced by June Foray. Dr. Seuss was awarded a Peabody Award for the animated special Horton Hears a Who!
- Hannabuss, S. (2007), "Dr Seuss: American Icon", Library Review, Vol. 56 No. 7, pp. 634-636. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530710776088
- "Ontario: Use of Seuss protested", National Post, 29 January 2001.
See also
In Spanish: ¡Horton escucha a Quién! para niños
