For what it is, Alastair Heim and Aristides Ruiz’s “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas!” is a fun read. It pales in comparison to Dr. Seuss’ seminal classic, but as its own little Christmas read, it’s cute enough.

A year after “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, the Grinch enters Whoville’s annual Christmas Tree contest to prove how much he loves Christmas – and the Whos in Whoville. But on Christmas Day, when the winners are crowned, the Grinch learns a lesson all of us must one day learn. A lesson that may very well change how he feels about Christmas all over again.

Put simply, “How the Grinch Lost Christmas“ feels a lot smaller than the original book felt. This is a very quiet story, one that focuses more on an easily-learnable moral than the vaguer idea of “What is Christmas”? And in that regard, Heim’s text works very well. He focuses on the Grinch’s desire to fit in, on his fears of not being accepted. And it makes for an engaging hook to a Grinch sequel. After all, where do you go after one’s heart grows three sizes? That being said, it does feel like this book retreads a lot of the same ground the original walked. But when it commits to digging into the Grinch’s insecurities, it’s a pretty engaging read. And one with a great moral, to boot.

Heim’s poetry echoes that of Dr. Seuss’, landing in a nice middle ground between homage and derivation. It’s a quick read, and sure to please even the biggest Dr. Seuss purists. But I don’t think it’ll ever be thought of in the same vein as the original Grinch story. On its own, “How the Grinch Lost Christmas” is a sweet read. But as a Grinch sequel, it’s kind of forgettable.

What’s not forgettable, however, is Ruiz’s artwork. Much like Heim’s poetry, Ruiz’s artwork pays homage to Seuss’ original artwork while never feeling derivative of it. Here, Ruiz plays up the Christmassy vibes of the story. His use of color immediately evokes the imagery of the 1966 animated adaptation. And overall, it’s just a gorgeous book to look at. It feels very Grinch-y, very Dr. Seuss-y, and very Christmassy. 

On the whole, “How the Grinch Lost Christmas” may not be destined to be the next Christmas classic, but it’s enjoyable enough for what it is. Heim’s poetry is sweet, and full of all the warmth and Christmas cheer you might want – even if it never reaches the wordplay you might expect from a Dr. Seuss book. Ruiz’s artwork is gorgeous and worth the price of admission all on its own. If you’re a big Dr. Seuss fan or a big fan of the original Grinch story, then you’re already gonna be grabbing this book. And you won’t be disappointed, even if you still end up reaching for the original book more often than this new one.

3.5 out of 5 wands

DISCLAIMER: A review copy was provided by the publisher and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own.