The Cartoon
Horton Hears A Who : Deluxe Collection
The Plot
Horton, the elephant, discovers a new world and does everything in his power to save that world from destruction.
Starring
Hans Conried, June Foray, Chuck Jones, Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Najimy, Matt Frewer, Christopher Lloyd, and more.
Review
In preparation for the upcoming animated version of Horton Hears A Who,
starring Jim Carey, I sat down to watch the original adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ famous children’s book. And I have to tell you that I’d
forgotten how cute the cartoon was until I plopped it into my DVD player this week-end. I’ve long been a fan of Dr. Seuss. I still have
three of my children’s books dating back to 1970—all worn and tattered, not to mention the VHS versions of
In Search of Dr. Seuss,
Horton Hatches An Egg, How The Grinch Stole Christmas,
and Grinch Night. Yes, I am an adult who still admires the works of the beloved Dr. Seuss.
In Horton Hears A Who, Horton, the elephant, discovers an itsy bitsy community in dire need of protection. And though his very
own community considers his discovery nonsense, Horton’s determined to prove them wrong and save Whoville from total annihilation—even
if it means he must become an outcast. In the end, Horton not only saves Whoville, but he instills a very valuable lesson upon his
community—that regardless of size, race, color, gender, or any other barrier known to man, people matter. And because people matter, it
is our duty to reach out to our fellow men and women without preconceived prejudices and love them, just as they are.
When the community didn’t believe Horton, simply because they could not see nor hear the residents of Whoville, he tried to get them to
understand that sometimes you must believe in someone even when everything inside of you tells you not to. When the community tried to
destroy the dust puff, Horton stood his ground and once again reiterated the fact that the people of Whoville deserved a fighting chance,
regardless of their size and regardless of where they lived. When the community called Horton crazy, when they beat him, and even when
they tried to cage him, Horton stood his ground. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
In the end, Horton’s combined efforts with the people of Whoville get his community to pay attention. And in the end, they reformed and
found a way to help save Whoville while praising Horton for standing his ground and fighting for what he believed in.
The story can be as simple or as complex as you’d like to make, but the fact remains the same—children will walk away from the storyline
understanding that value of life—whether it’s human or animal.
As far as the cartoon itself goes, I rather enjoyed the simplicity of the animation which concentrates on the drawings and the storyline
and not theatrics. You won’t find 3-D animation and you won’t find a ton of action, but you will find a smooth skit with animation, a
narrator, and panning of scenes. When watching the DVD, you must think of it as a read-a-long book. Your child can pull out his book and
follow along without getting lost—reinforcing the value of reading.
This version also comes with a sing-a-long music video, “You Can Hear Horton, Horton Can Hear You!”, and three more stories: Daisy-Head
Mayzie, Horton Hatches The Egg, and Butter Battle Book.
And get this, In Search of Dr. Seuss,
starring Kathy Najimy is also included. According to my 13 year old daughter this, in itself, makes the price of the DVD worth it. It’s
a great skit designed to give fans an insight look into the life of Theodore Seuss Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) complete with skits,
musicals, and animated characters from his beloved books. However, a small caveat is in order because the documentary sections include
bits and pieces about World War II, the Nazis, and Hitler which some parents may find unsuitable for younger children.
In the words of Dr. Seuss himself, “I hope for the children a world of peace and that they never lose their sense of wonder and
discovery.”
Order Horton Hears A Who Today!
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich is the author of the highly praised daycare e-book,
Tid-Bits For In-Home Daycare Providers.
If you like small children, want to stay home with your own children, and would like to make a little money in the process,
you could enjoy a career as a home daycare provider.
Visit our e-book store to order your copy today!
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