Horton Hears a Who! (TV special) facts for kids

Horton Hears a Who! is a fun animated TV show from 1970. It's based on the famous book by Dr. Seuss called Horton Hears a Who!, which came out in 1954. Chuck Jones, who also made How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, produced and directed this special. It first aired on CBS on March 19, 1970. Dr. Seuss wrote the songs for the show, and Eugene Poddany created the music.

Story of Horton Hears a Who!

In the Jungle of Nool, Horton the Elephant is taking a bath. He spots a tiny speck of dust floating by. Horton hears a small cry for help coming from the speck. He believes someone lives on it. So, he saves the speck from falling over a waterfall.

Horton places the speck on a clover. He discovers it's a tiny town called Whoville. This town is home to very small creatures called Whos. One Who, a scientist named Dr. H. Hoovey, talks to Horton. He uses a special device to see worlds outside their speck. The other Whos, however, just laugh at him. They think nothing exists beyond their tiny world.

Horton promises to protect Whoville from harm. He believes that "a person's a person, no matter how small." But the other jungle animals think Horton is crazy. Especially Jane Kangaroo, who is very cynical. They do not believe the Whos exist.

Protecting Whoville

Jane Kangaroo thinks Horton's behavior is a problem. She sends the Wickersham Brothers to take the clover from him. They give the clover to an eagle named Whizzer McWoff. The eagle flies away with it. Horton chases McWoff across the mountains. But the eagle drops the clover into a huge field of clovers. Horton is left to find it.

Horton searches very hard through the field. He finally finds his clover. Dr. Hoovey tells him that Whoville was badly damaged when the clover was dropped. The other Whos see the damage. This proves that Dr. Hoovey was right. They all decide to support him.

The Whos Make Noise

Jane finds Horton with the clover again. With help from the Wickersham Brothers, she plans to stop Horton. They tie Horton up and put him in a cage. They plan to boil the dust speck in beezle-nut oil. Horton tells the Whos to make noise. They need to prove they exist.

The Whos shout and play loud instruments. But the other animals still hear nothing. Dr. Hoovey searches through town. He finds a small Who named JoJo. JoJo is bouncing a yo-yo instead of making noise. Dr. Hoovey takes JoJo to the top of his tower. JoJo then utters a loud "Yopp!"

This "Yopp" breaks through the dust speck. The animals finally hear the Whos! They release Horton from the cage. They allow him to keep the clover. The special ends with Dr. Hoovey relaxing. He sees another small dust speck and hears a call for help.

Home Video Releases

This TV special has been released many times. It was often included with How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on VHS, CED, LaserDisc, and DVD. It was also released on its own DVD on March 4, 2008.

The DVD included bonus features. These included a songs-only version of the special. It also had the cartoons Horton Hatches the Egg, The Butter Battle Book, and Daisy-Head Mayzie. A 1994 documentary called In Search of Dr. Seuss was also included. The special later came out on Blu-ray Disc on October 6, 2009. This version had most of the same bonus features.

Voice Cast

• Hans Conried as Horton, Dr. H. Hoovey, and the Narrator
• Chuck Jones as Junior Kangaroo, Vlad Vladikoff (also known as "Whizzer McKwoff"), JoJo, and some male Whos
• June Foray as Jane Kangaroo, the Birds, and some female Whos
• The Mellomen as the Wickersham Brothers
• The MGM Chorus as the Citizens of Whoville