Just ahead of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books announced Thursday that the classic 1957 children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” will be getting a sequel.
The story will continue one year after the events of the original story, according to the Associated Press. The sequel is called “How the Grinch Lost Christmas!” and will be a totally original work made in the style of the late writer.
“One of the most asked questions we receive from Seuss fans of all ages is ‘What do you think happened to the Grinch after he stole Christmas?’” Alice Jonaitis, executive editor at Random House Children’s Books, said in a statement.
The sequel is written by Alastair Heim and illustrated by Aristides Ruiz. Heim has created other books inspired by the style of Dr. Seuss, including “If I Ran Your School” and “I Am the Cat in the Hat.”
“All throughout writing the story, I couldn’t fully believe that I was actually getting to play in the amazing creative sandbox Dr. Seuss created all those decades ago,” Heim told AP in an email.
“When I heard of the opportunity to be a part of this project, I jumped at the chance only to find that it was difficult and daunting to approach adding to or expanding such an esteemed and treasured part of the American Christmas canon,” Ruiz added.
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is one of Dr. Seuss’s most well-known and beloved children’s books. It sold close to 10 million copies in North America, the publication noted, and has been translated into multiple languages. The story was also turned into an animated movie narrated by Boris Karloff in 1966. It was later adapted into a full-length, live action film starring Jim Carrey in 2000 and was again adapted in 2018.
The sequel will feature the Grinch competing to win Who-ville’s Christmas Crown with the most spectacular Christmas tree ever seen, per Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Grinch becomes cold-hearted and mean again during the contest until Cindy-Lou Who reminds him about the true meaning of Christmas.
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Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Geisel, died in 1991. Though he’s one of the most recognized and respected children’s book authors in history, some of his older titles have come under fire recently for alleged racist and problematic themes. Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced in 2021 that they would stop printing six titles from the Seuss catalog, including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo.”
“How the Grinch Lost Christmas!” is scheduled for a September 5 release.