Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Lost Christmas! (Classic Seuss)

PreS-Gr 2--In this sequel to the Dr. Seuss classic, a year has passed, and the now-reformed Grinch wants to show the Whos just how much he has changed. He finds out about a Christmas tree contest in Who-ville and decides that he must win it to demonstrate his new Christmas spirit. Preoccupied with decorating the largest tree, he turns away Cindy-Lou Who when she comes to ask him for a favor. When the Grinch's tree gets second place, he is incensed and angrily retreats to his cave. Cindy-Lou, the winner of the contest, makes him come back by revealing that she wanted him to make an ornament for her tree so that Grinch would feel they like him "an awfully lot." Mollified, the Grinch realizes that he "BELONGED all along!" and that true winning is "being TOGETHER at Christmas!" Somewhat contrary to this message, he then crowns Cindy-Lou for her first-place win. Heim does a serviceable job emulating Dr. Seuss's style, though it is difficult to say whether a light rewriting of entire passages counts as homage or inability to create something more original. Colorful illustrations look more like the 1966 cartoon than the original black, white, and red drawings, but they are still whimsical and Seussian nevertheless. VERDICT Altogether, a serviceable sequel and a cute Christmas story with a positive though muddled message.--Yelena Voysey