What's more exciting than discovering forgotten stories by one of children's books most legendary authors? Not much. Reviewer Anita Lock talks about HORTON AND THE KWUGGERBUG AND MORE LOST STORIES by Dr. Seuss --- a collection of four stories first printed in Redbook Magazine but forgotten for a long time afterwards --- in her post honoring National Picture Book Month.
Much credit for HORTON AND THE KWUGGERBUG AND MORE LOST STORIES by Dr. Seuss goes to Dr. Charles Cohen. Aside from his dental duties, he is the ardent collector of all things Seuss. The author of THE SEUSS, THE WHOLE SEUSS AND NOTHING BUT THE SEUSS, Cohen discovered these stories as a set of short works that first appeared in Redbook Magazine during the 1950s. As Cohen states, "they were tossed out when the next month's issue arrived, and the stories were largely forgotten." But with all of Seuss' stories, this almost-forgotten compilation is replete with yet another set of lessons to be learned.
This memorable four-story collection follows Seuss' typical anapestic-tetrameter styled poetry that is lovingly laced with his inimitably recognized illustrations. “Horton and the Kwuggerbug” features the beloved Horton (from the Horton stories), who is confronted by a patronizing bug that incessantly reminds the affable Horton that "a deal is a deal." Those who are familiar with Mulberry Street will be quick to recognize other much-loved characters, such as Marco in “Marco comes Late” and Officer Pat in “How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town.” Marco explains why he's late for school, while Officer Pat foresees a disastrous chain of events. Lastly, Seuss throws in a fresh twist to the bad-tempered Grinch in “The Hoobub and the Grinch,” in which the surprisingly mild-mannered Grinch succumbs to a conniving salesman.
This almost-forgotten compilation is replete with yet another set of lessons to be learned.
For those of us who remember Theodore Geisel's passing in 1991, we are all greatly saddened by the loss of this iconic figure who literally changed the course of reading in the American school system with the introduction of THE CAT IN THE HAT. The unearthing of these incredible stories is a constant reminder that Seuss' spirit not only lives on, but the hope that his stories will always be cherished by future generations.
Anita Lock is a reviewer for Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com.
