Horton Hears a Who!

Horton Hears a Who teaches us one of the most important lessons of democracy. We all have to speak up--even the smallest voice--in order to prevent injustice. Every voice, like every vote, counts. This should be required viewing (and reading) for children of all ages learning about the responsibilities of free speech and democracy.

This is a great and well-made cartoon for children.

Dr Seuss was one of my childhood favourites and I still have a big soft spot for him now. Of the animated adaptations of his work, almost all are absolute gems and show an utmost respect for it. And Horton Hears a Who is no exception. The animation is bright and colourful with beautifully rendered character designs(they are also true to the illustrations in the book), and the songs deliciously catchy. The writing and rhymes are relatively simple(in a good way) as well as witty and very easy to get in your head. The story is zippily paced, upbeat and charming with a nice message, which is exactly what Dr Seuss should be like, and it doesn't suffer from too much padding or useless scenes. The ending is also very heartfelt. The characters are timeless and always engage you, and the voice acting especially from Hans Conreid is terrific. Overall, a treasure, every bit as good as the book and deserves its place among the other animated Dr Seuss adaptation classics. The Jim Carrey animated film I also found entertaining and easily the best of the feature length adaptations, but I'll always prefer this. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I saw both of these TV specials as a kid. I was 8 when How the Grinch Stole Christmas! premiered and 12 when Horton Hears a Who premiered.

And I wondered then and wonder still As children do and adults will

If those kind Whos in the Grinch's show Are the same that Horton hears, you know?

Then this would mean to one and all That Whos are not the only ones small

And that big, gruesome, greedy Grinch Who seeks the Whos' Yule for to pinch Is towered over by an INCH!

Did Seuss mean for Whoville to be The same in either show we see?

I've pondered this and ponder still As adults may and children will

The Whos we meet in Grinch's show Are kindly folks we'd like to know

But those we see mock Dr. Whovey Are arrogant and not so groovy!

Seuss never linked the Whos for us So you may ask why I make fuss

I simply think his brain sublime Would create different pronoun rhyme If those Whos weren't the same, cor blime!

Chuck Jones and Theodore Geisel teamed up to produce the animated adaptation of Geisel's classic Horton Hears a Who! (why does the title always end in an exclamation mark?), as they did earlier for How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Horton's story is just as good as the Grinch's, with wonderful animation by Jones, and excellent lyrics by Dr. Suess (aka Geisel). Horton Hears a Who! has a moral: a BIG one. It deals with the concept of free speech, and how no one should believe they are the center of the universe and are the ones that REALLY matter, let alone that there is no one else at all. Both Dr. Hoovey and Horton are condemned as quacks just because they are not, like the rest of the community, self-centered morons. This in itself is a wonderful short story. But if you combine it with excellent lyrics and unbeatable animation, you have captured the essence of Horton Hears a Who! What really baffles me is that this masterpiece is so unappreciated as to be mentioned in a four-line paragraph at the back of a video with The Grinch as the feature. This "supplement" is just as good as How the Grinch Stole Christmas!