Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Horton Hears a Who Pop-up
Paper Engineer: David Carter
Novelty Book
For ages 4 and up
Robin Corey Books, 2008 ISBN: 978-0375841941
One hot day Horton is having a nice cool bath when he hears a sound. To Horton it is as if "some tiny person were calling for help" and since he is a very kind sort of elephant he offers his assistance. Of course he does not know where the appeal is coming from until he sees a tiny speck of dust blowing past. Ever so carefully Horton plucks the speck of dust out of the air and puts it on a clover flower. Horton is sure that there is someone living on the speck of dust and he is determined to do whatever he can to help the little being because a "person's a person, no matter how small."
Horton does not give shirk his responsibilities to the person with the tiny voice, even when a kangaroo joins him and makes fun of his efforts to protect the dust speck. Instead he picks up the clover flower and he carries it with him so that he can look after it. The tiny person on the speck then speaks to Horton and explains that Horton has saved not just one little being but a whole bunch of Whos who live in their town of Who-ville.
Unfortunately there are other animals in the jungle who are even worse than the rude kangaroo. Before Horton can stop them a trio of monkeys steal the clover flower (with its precious cargo) and they give is to a vulture so that he can take the flower to a place where Horton will "never find it."
The vulture, with an exhausted Horton trundling in its wake, does indeed choose a good place to hide the clover flower – in a field of clover which is a hundred miles wide. Doggedly Horton searches every flower until he finally finds the one he is looking for.
Horton's troubles are not over however for the jungle animals are heartily sick of his behavior. They have ganged together and they plan on tying up Horton and boiling the dust speck. What can Horton and the Whos do to prove that they really do exist before it is too late?
In this delightful edition of "Horton hears a Who" readers not only get to read the entire original text of this splendid story, but they also get to enjoy five large pop-ups, eleven pop-up booklets, and much more. Dr. Seuss' original artwork is brighter than ever and the pop-ups make the book a joy to look at for readers of all ages. Best of all, the cunningly rhyming story explores the idea that all life is precious and that we all have to do our outmost to protect the small and helpless.
