'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!' Sequel on the Way
Get ready for the return of the Grinch! After decades of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! enchanting children and adults, the classic book is getting an official sequel. Publisher Penguin Random House is set to release How the Grinch Lost Christmas!, an official sequel to Dr. Seuss' iconic 1957 book. While Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel died in 1991, the team behind the book — writer Alastair Heim and illustrator Aristides Ruiz — has emulated his style.
The story picks up a year after the initial Grinch tale. As detailed in the book's official tagline, "The Grinch is BACK and ready to prove to the residents of Who-ville that he's changed. This heartwarming sequel is written and illustrated in the style of Dr. Seuss's beloved holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" The release date is set for Sept. 5, 2023.
The book's full description reads: "A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville's Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen! But when things don't go as planned, the Grinch's heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Who-ville for good...until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.
"Grow your heart three sizes MORE with this sequel to the timeless picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Featuring a foil-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this new story makes a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Grinch fans of all ages!"
The description also includes a brief bit of rhyming prose that is presumably from the book itself:
The Grinch had been patiently waiting all year, To celebrate Christmas and bring the Whos cheer,
And to show every Who he was DIFFERENT now.
"I've changed!" thought the Grinch,
"And I'll prove it! But HOW?"
The duo heading up the creation of this new Grinch book are both familiar with working within the world of Seuss, being as they've contributed to various expansions of the Cat in the Hat franchise in past years. They know it's a great honor and responsibility to take on the beloved holiday character — which has a higher profile than ever due to 2018's massively successful movie The Grinch.
"All throughout writing the story, I couldn't fully believe that I was actually getting to play in the amazing creative sandbox Dr. Seuss created all those decades ago," Heim told the Associated Press via an email. Ruiz added, "When I heard of the opportunity to be a part of this project, I jumped at the chance only to find that it was difficult and daunting to approach adding to or expanding such an esteemed and treasured part of the American Christmas canon.