Horton the Elephant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horton the Elephant
Horton as drawn by Dr. Seuss, from Horton Hears a Who!
First appearance	Horton (1953)
Created by	Dr. Seuss
Portrayed by	Kevin Chamberlin (Seussical)
Voiced by	Jim Carrey (2008 film)
Information
Species	Elephant
Gender	Male

Horton the Elephant is a famous character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared in the book Horton Hatches the Egg in 1940. Later, he starred in Horton Hears a Who! in 1954.

Horton is known for being a very kind and caring elephant. He always tries to help others, no matter how small they are. Even when things get tough, Horton never gives up. He faces challenges like keeping an egg safe through storms or protecting a tiny planet from harm. In the end, he always succeeds!

People love Horton because he has a big heart and shows great respect for everyone. His adventures are often funny and teach important lessons about caring for others.

Horton has also appeared in movies and TV shows. In 1942, Warner Bros. made a short cartoon called Horton Hatches the Egg. Later, in 1970, a TV special of Horton Hears a Who! was made. Horton is also a character in the musical Seussical and the 2008 computer-animated movie Horton Hears a Who!, where he was voiced by Jim Carrey.

In 2014, a new Dr. Seuss book featuring Horton was released. It was called Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories.

Meet Horton's Friends and Foes

Horton meets many different characters in his adventures. Some are his friends, and some cause him trouble!

Characters from Horton Hatches the Egg

• Mayzie: A very lazy bird. She convinces Horton to sit on her egg while she goes on vacation. When the egg hatches, she tries to claim it back.
• Hunters: Three hunters who find Horton sitting on the egg. Instead of shooting him, they decide to sell him to a circus because it's so unusual to see an elephant on a nest!
• Morton the Elephant Bird: This is the special creature that hatches from Mayzie's egg. It looks like an elephant with wings! Horton raises Morton as his own child.

Characters from Horton Hears a Who!

• The Sour Kangaroo: A grumpy kangaroo who lives in the Jungle of Nool. She doesn't believe Horton when he says he hears tiny people. She tries to stop him from protecting the Whos.
• The Young Kangaroo: The Sour Kangaroo's child. In the movie, he's named Rudy and believes in the Whos, unlike his mom.
• Mayor of Whoville: The leader of the tiny world of Whoville. He talks to Horton and tries to help his people be heard. In the movie, he's named Ned McDodd and has many children.
• The Wickersham Brothers: A group of monkeys who work for the Sour Kangaroo. They steal the flower where Whoville is located and cause trouble for Horton.
• Vlad Vladikoff: A mean black eagle who takes the flower with Whoville and drops it in a huge field of similar flowers, making it hard for Horton to find.
• JoJo: A small Who child. He is the one who finally makes a loud enough sound to save Whoville by shouting "YOPP!"

Characters from Seussical

• Gertrude McFuzz: A bird who is in love with Horton in the musical Seussical. She helps him find the flower with Whoville and save him from the circus.

Horton's Amazing Stories

Horton's two main stories teach us about loyalty, perseverance, and listening to others.

The Story of Horton Hatches the Egg

In this story, a mother bird named Mayzie is tired of sitting on her egg. She asks Horton to take her place, promising to return soon. Horton, being kind, agrees. He sits on the egg for months, even through terrible rain and snowstorms. Other animals make fun of him, but Horton stays loyal to his promise.

Three hunters find Horton and, amazed by an elephant on a nest, sell him to a circus. Horton and the egg travel with the circus. When they arrive near Palm Beach, Mayzie shows up and demands her egg back. But when the egg finally hatches, it's not a bird! It's a unique "elephant-bird" who sees Horton as its true parent. Horton and his new child, Morton, return home happily.

The Story of Horton Hears a Who!

One day, while bathing, Horton hears a tiny cry for help coming from a speck of dust. He carefully places the speck on a red clover. He soon discovers that the speck is a tiny world called Whoville, filled with microscopic people called Whos!

Horton tries to protect the Whos, but the Sour Kangaroo and her son think he's crazy. They try to make him give up. The Wickersham Brothers, working for the Sour Kangaroo, steal the clover and give it to Vlad Vladikoff, who drops it into a huge field of identical flowers.

Horton searches tirelessly and finally finds Whoville. But the Sour Kangaroo and her monkey army arrive to imprison him and destroy the clover. Horton tells the Whos they must make enough noise to be heard. They all shout, but it's not enough. Finally, a small Who child named JoJo shouts "YOPP!" This loud sound breaks through, and everyone hears the Whos! The monkeys and Kangaroo apologize, and Horton is praised for protecting the tiny world.

Horton in Other Media

• The book Horton Hatches the Egg was made into a 10-minute Looney Tunes cartoon in 1942. This was the first time a Dr. Seuss book was adapted into a movie!
• Horton Hears a Who! was made into a TV special in 1970 and a CGI feature film in 2008 by Blue Sky Studios.
• Both Horton books are a big part of the story in the 2000 musical Seussical, where Horton is one of the main characters.

See also

In Spanish: Horton el Elefante para niños