Over the course of his long and illustrious career, Dr. Seuss wrote more classic books than perhaps any other children's author. Among those classic books is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which tells the story of the eponymous Grinch, a mean and grumpy curmudgeon who tries as hard as he can to stop Christmas from occurring by stealing gifts from people in the town of Who-ville. The Grinch eventually grows a heart – as big as it can be – and learns the value of Christmas and the community of Who-ville.
When it was released, How the Grinch Stole Christmas received a number of rave reviews. The New York Times wrote, "The reader is swept along by the ebullient rhymes and the weirdly zany pictures until he is limp with relief when the Grinch reforms and, like the latter, mellow with good feelings." To this day, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is considered a holiday classic for children and adult readers alike. It has been adapted into multiple films, including the popular 2000 production directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey as the lead role.