A sequel to How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr Seuss has been announced by the publisher.
Dr Seuss Enterprises and HarperCollins Children’s Books said How The Grinch Lost Christmas! will pick up one year after the events of the original beloved book, which saw the grouchy creature’s heart grow three sizes as he came to love the festive period.
The original author, whose real name was Theodor Geisel and who died in 1991 at the age of 87, sold millions of copies of his Grinch book after it was published in 1957.
He also wrote popular books Horton Hears A Who! and The Cat In The Hat.
Susan Brandt, president and chief executive of Dr Seuss Enterprises, said the original Grinch tale is “one of the most beloved holiday celebration books of all time”, and the publisher “loves” the sequel, which was written by Alastair Heim and illustrated by Aristides Ruiz.
Heim has also written Dr Seuss books If I Ran Your School and I Am The Cat In The Hat, while Ruiz has illustrated The Cat In The Hat’s Learning Library books.
Juliet Matthews, colour publisher at HarperCollins, said “The original classic title is a perennial best-seller, so we are thrilled that the magic of Grinchmas now continues with this sequel How The Grinch Lost Christmas!, where we find out what happened to the Grinch after he stole Christmas.
“This new and exciting addition to the Dr Seuss canon of publishing will be the highlight of our seasoning offering in 2023.”
When the new book is published in September, readers will see the Grinch showing the Whos, who live in a town located on a speck of dust, that he has come to love Christmas.
His plan to win Who-ville’s Christmas crown by creating the biggest Christmas tree does not go as planned and he threatens to leave the town behind until he is reminded why he should stay, according to the publisher.
In the first book, and the 2000 Christmas movie of the same name starring Jim Carrey, the Grinch tries to ruin Christmas by stealing the town’s food and presents.
However with the help of a little girl called Cindy-Lou Who, and the singing of the Whos, he celebrates Christmas as he realises it is about family and neighbours.
How The Grinch Lost Christmas! will be published on September 5 by HarperCollins Children’s Books in the UK.