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Horton the Elephant
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and more Lost Stories
This follow-up to The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories features familiar Seuss faces and places — including Horton the Elephant, Marco, Mulberry Street, and a Grinch — as well as an introduction by renowned Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen. Seuss fans will learn more about Horton’s integrity, Marco’s amazing imagination, a narrowly avoided disaster on Mullbery Street, and a devious Grinch. The color palette is enhanced beyond the original 1950s Redbook magazines.
Introduction by Charles D. Cohen
1 Horton and the Kwuggerbug
2 Marco Comes Late
3 How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town
4 The Hoobub and the Grinch
Introduction by Charles D. Cohen
1 Horton and the Kwuggerbug
2 Marco Comes Late
3 How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town
4 The Hoobub and the Grinch
48 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2014
17 people are currently reading
1016 people want to read
About the author
Dr. Seuss
988 books18.3k followersAlso wrote as Theodore Seuss Geisel, see https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"
In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.
During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.
In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.
In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.
Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
January 20, 2026
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Short magazine bits (some awkwardly fit), on big imaginations—conniving tales to make a sale and wild speculation.
*Progress update
Notes: Short magazine bits (some awkwardly fit), on big imaginations—conniving tales to make a sale and wild speculation.
*Progress update
April 17, 2021
Oh Joy!!!! This is a Seuss that I'd never read before...how can that be? I was browsing through Seuss at one of my online libraries and discovered this for the first time today. I loved it so much I was hoping that my grandchildren would ask me to read again before moving on the to the next book, but, alas, they saw there were twenty more books on the "shelf" and they wanted to hear every one of them before I could go back to and read this one again. I guess I'll have to read myself a bedtime story tonight, LOL.
July 5, 2018
This is a collection of 4 stories published in Redbook - a magazine in the 50s that were pretty much forgotten. He did edit some of them before his death. All the stories and artwork is his. They found the old magazines and lifted the stories to publish. He even had a deal to publish 'How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town' as a book and it just got bumped by the popularity of 'The Cat in the Hat'.
We get to see Horton ride again with a sneaky bug. There are 2 stories on Mulberry Street once again, one with Marco who is late to school and the other is about Officer Pat, which is probably the best story of the bunch here, although I really enjoyed the Horton story too. The last story is about a Grinch, not THE grinch from Christmas, but another one and he makes a good advertiser as he says useless things to people. It was the most unfinished and least enjoyable.
I thought the Horton story was great, but it needed one more panel, I felt, to let us know how things wrapped up.
These are new stories by a master. The kids enjoyed all but the last one about a Grinch. They did well with this collection and I'm quite glad we have something new of his.
We get to see Horton ride again with a sneaky bug. There are 2 stories on Mulberry Street once again, one with Marco who is late to school and the other is about Officer Pat, which is probably the best story of the bunch here, although I really enjoyed the Horton story too. The last story is about a Grinch, not THE grinch from Christmas, but another one and he makes a good advertiser as he says useless things to people. It was the most unfinished and least enjoyable.
I thought the Horton story was great, but it needed one more panel, I felt, to let us know how things wrapped up.
These are new stories by a master. The kids enjoyed all but the last one about a Grinch. They did well with this collection and I'm quite glad we have something new of his.
December 7, 2022
Fresh to the market Seuss!
Titular story: The Kwuggerbug is the original lawyer cum politician. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marco Comes Late: Some kids are too perspicacious for school. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town: A batting in time saves nine. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Hoobub and the Grinch: This Grinch is the adamic adman. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Titular story: The Kwuggerbug is the original lawyer cum politician. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marco Comes Late: Some kids are too perspicacious for school. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town: A batting in time saves nine. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Hoobub and the Grinch: This Grinch is the adamic adman. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 8, 2014
Since this is a collection of four separate stories, I'll review each individually. (Read the introduction for fun facts like which one of these was slated to be a book but got ousted by a turtle after a cat got rave reviews.)
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" 3 stars
Summary: Horton makes a deal with the Kwuggerbug to help him get to the Beezlenut tree in exchange for half of the nuts. But the journey to the Beezlenut tree is quite hazardous, and only the honor of Horton keeps him going. In the end, the Kwuggerbug tries to double cross Horton, but a well-timed sneeze makes things more even.
Review: I loved the illustrations, especially the "mountain" Horton has to climb. I could take or leave the con-artist story.
"Marco Comes Late" 5 stars
Summary: Marco is late to school and his explanation to his teacher involves a bird who landed on his books and layed an egg there, and various animals who argue over whether he should protect the egg or get to school on time. In the end, the teacher sees through the tall tale for the morsel of truth.
Review: This was a very creative excuse for tardiness. I don't think any of my students would be daring enough to try this one. I really like the perceptiveness of the teacher.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" 5 stars
Summary: Officer Pat sees a gnat about to disturb a cat and realizes this could be the start of a string of disasters that could obliterate the town. So Officer Pat intervenes and the town is saved.
Review: Officer Pat's imagination could definitely give Marco's imagination a run for it's money. He comes up with the craziest train of events that could happen because of a gnat. It is highly entertaining and humorous. Oh, and I liked that this story took place on the corner of Mulberry Street.
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" 3 stars
Summary: A very short story in which the tricksy Grinch convinces the Hoobub that a piece of green string is better than the sun.
Review: This one just made me want the Grinch to get his just deserts. Kids will probably like the ridiculousness of the Hoobub getting convinced a string is better than the sun.
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" 3 stars
Summary: Horton makes a deal with the Kwuggerbug to help him get to the Beezlenut tree in exchange for half of the nuts. But the journey to the Beezlenut tree is quite hazardous, and only the honor of Horton keeps him going. In the end, the Kwuggerbug tries to double cross Horton, but a well-timed sneeze makes things more even.
Review: I loved the illustrations, especially the "mountain" Horton has to climb. I could take or leave the con-artist story.
"Marco Comes Late" 5 stars
Summary: Marco is late to school and his explanation to his teacher involves a bird who landed on his books and layed an egg there, and various animals who argue over whether he should protect the egg or get to school on time. In the end, the teacher sees through the tall tale for the morsel of truth.
Review: This was a very creative excuse for tardiness. I don't think any of my students would be daring enough to try this one. I really like the perceptiveness of the teacher.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" 5 stars
Summary: Officer Pat sees a gnat about to disturb a cat and realizes this could be the start of a string of disasters that could obliterate the town. So Officer Pat intervenes and the town is saved.
Review: Officer Pat's imagination could definitely give Marco's imagination a run for it's money. He comes up with the craziest train of events that could happen because of a gnat. It is highly entertaining and humorous. Oh, and I liked that this story took place on the corner of Mulberry Street.
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" 3 stars
Summary: A very short story in which the tricksy Grinch convinces the Hoobub that a piece of green string is better than the sun.
Review: This one just made me want the Grinch to get his just deserts. Kids will probably like the ridiculousness of the Hoobub getting convinced a string is better than the sun.
September 17, 2014
This is a collection of lost stories by Dr. Seuss. There is a total of 4 new stories in this collection. Of course, the one leading the pack was about the lovable and obliging Horton the Elephant. The first starts off with classic Horton being very generous to a "seemingly" sincere little Kwuggerbug. As it turns out, this bug is really a colossal pest and mean to boot. Once Horton gave him his word he was determined to stick with it. The rhyming in the story is great but, I am not sure how I feel about the actual story itself. This one was the best story out of all of them. There were 3 other stories that were not as good. One involved a boy that was a liar, the other about a police officer daydreaming about saving the city, and the last one about The Grinch. The Grinch story really didn't make any sense to me. I felt like I had read the stories involving the boy (And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street) and the police officer (Because A Little Bug Went Kachoo!) already. So, I was a little let down in the presentation of these stories. The Horton one made me feel a little sad. I am not sure if I would want to have any of my little "kidlets" reading this new Dr. Seuss book. It just didn't have the whimsy and majesty of his other books.
December 11, 2016
It's really difficult for me to evaluate a Dr. Seuss book as an adult, without any children to read it to, or with. Personally, I'm going to say it's probably 3.5 stars, but, since this has apparently been overlooked, I'll round up to get the word out. There's absolutely nothing unfinished or awkward about these, in fact they were published, in ephemeral magazines.
Anyway, a good intro. is included, and makes me want to go back and read some other Seuss that I've forgotten. There are 3 full stories here, a Horton, a Marco of Mulberry Street, and Officer Pat, with his imagination akin to that of Rube Goldberg. There's also one two-page Grinch story that is more like an anecdote. Iow, it's a slim and probably unsatisfying volume, and so I advise you get it from the library before buying it.
Anyway, a good intro. is included, and makes me want to go back and read some other Seuss that I've forgotten. There are 3 full stories here, a Horton, a Marco of Mulberry Street, and Officer Pat, with his imagination akin to that of Rube Goldberg. There's also one two-page Grinch story that is more like an anecdote. Iow, it's a slim and probably unsatisfying volume, and so I advise you get it from the library before buying it.
August 17, 2022
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Well, this was a fun collection! The introduction was quite fun, and then the stories were very enjoyable. “Horton & the Kwuggerbug” is such a lovely addition to the Horton series! I love how kind and polite and hardworking and honest that elephant is. <3 “Marco Comes Late” was very funny and I enjoyed the tie-in with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. “How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town” was sarcastic and amusing, yet had a good ring of truth to it… and finally, “The Hoobub & the Grinch” had a really great moral wrapped up in Seuss’s delightful rhyming and story.
January 1, 2015
Who would have believed that I would find some stories written by Dr. Seuss that were actually lost for many decades? I was quite surprised when I picked up the latest book by Dr. Seuss called “Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories” and read the stories that have not been published for decades and I was always wondering when I read this book about why these stories were never published in the first place.
In this short collection of lost stories by Dr. Seuss, there are a total of four stories including an introduction about how these stories came to be by Charles D. Cohen.
Horton and the Kwuggerbug
In this story, Horton meets up with a small bug called the Kwuggerbug and the Kwuggerbug tells Horton of a Beezlenut tree where the sweetest Beezlenuts grow and said that he could lead him to the tree if Horton carries him there. However, Horton will soon realize that the Kwuggerbug is not as innocent as he seems!
Marco Comes Late
When Miss Block asks Marco about why he was late to school, Marco then weaves a tale about how a bird ends up laying an egg on his head and how he meets up with two worms and two large cats who argue with each other about whether or not Marco should keep the bird on his head.
How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town
When Officer Pat notices a small gnat flying around Thomas the cat, he then realizes that the gnat could cause so much trouble on Mulberry Street if it bites the cat and causes a catastrophic chain reaction that could destroy the town!
The Hoobub and the Grinch
The story starts out with the Grinch (no, not that Grinch) trying to sell a piece of green string to the Hoobub and telling him how the green string is much more useful than the sun.
I have to wonder about how come these stories were never published when they originally came out during the 1950s (even though the introduction by Charles D. Cohen explained why these stories were lost in the first place) as I found these stories to be just as entertaining as Dr. Seuss’ mainstream works. Dr. Seuss has once again woven an extremely creative and hilarious set of stories that will be memorable for both children and fans of Dr. Seuss in general and I really enjoyed the creative rhyming being woven into this book as they gleefully tell the stories in a humorous way. Probably my most favorite story out of this collection was “Horton and the Kwuggerbug” since I am a huge fan of Horton in general and the story about Horton being taken advantage of by a small bug really speaks out to me! Dr. Seuss’ artwork is as usual creative to look at as the characters have exaggerated features that really bring out the hilarious activities that they get involved in.
Overall, “Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories” is a fantastic collection of the lost stories of Dr. Seuss that anyone who is a huge fan of Dr. Seuss will easily enjoy! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since the stories are enjoyable for small children!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
May 17, 2022
Pros: cool art, more Dr. Suess (because there's never enough) and Horton is my favorite cartoon character.
Cons: my kids are calling each other kwuggerbugs.
I'm reviewing the read and listen e-book edition.
Very cute, good for advancing readers. There are a lot of silly nonsense words (clim, clum,) that make for great phonics practice.
The stories are also good to read to a group of kids. The first story features someone being unfair to Horton while the second is about a boy telling a tall tale about why he's late for school. Both are good for asking kids "Is that true?" or "Does that sound right?"
I picked this up with my 4 year old in mind but all my kids (ages 1-11) have enjoyed it.
Just a note on the read and listen series:
The text lights up to match the audio as the narrator reads.
When reading on a smart phone, all of these books have a problem getting out of sync if you flip between portrait and landscape view without pausing. This seems to be a feature of the format, not something specific to this book.
To fix the audio, pause the book and flip either direction then flip back to your page and restart... or lock your phone so it won't flip if little hands tilt your phone. This hasn't been a problem reading on the kindle device, just on the kindle and libby smart phone apps.
Cons: my kids are calling each other kwuggerbugs.
I'm reviewing the read and listen e-book edition.
Very cute, good for advancing readers. There are a lot of silly nonsense words (clim, clum,) that make for great phonics practice.
The stories are also good to read to a group of kids. The first story features someone being unfair to Horton while the second is about a boy telling a tall tale about why he's late for school. Both are good for asking kids "Is that true?" or "Does that sound right?"
I picked this up with my 4 year old in mind but all my kids (ages 1-11) have enjoyed it.
Just a note on the read and listen series:
The text lights up to match the audio as the narrator reads.
When reading on a smart phone, all of these books have a problem getting out of sync if you flip between portrait and landscape view without pausing. This seems to be a feature of the format, not something specific to this book.
To fix the audio, pause the book and flip either direction then flip back to your page and restart... or lock your phone so it won't flip if little hands tilt your phone. This hasn't been a problem reading on the kindle device, just on the kindle and libby smart phone apps.
March 6, 2021
This book contains four stories that Dr. Seuss had published in magazines early in his career but were never released in book form. One features Horton, while two others take us to Mulberry Street. The final, which is just two pages, features a very slick salesman.
I was leery of this book since it was released after Dr. Seuss’s death, but I found I enjoyed all four stories. By themselves, they are short, but together, they are quite fun. It certainly helps that these were polished and released by Dr. Seuss himself instead of cobbled together from abandoned notes after his death. The illustrations and rhyme are classic Seuss. Kids and their parents will be glad they gave this collection a chance.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I was leery of this book since it was released after Dr. Seuss’s death, but I found I enjoyed all four stories. By themselves, they are short, but together, they are quite fun. It certainly helps that these were polished and released by Dr. Seuss himself instead of cobbled together from abandoned notes after his death. The illustrations and rhyme are classic Seuss. Kids and their parents will be glad they gave this collection a chance.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
June 24, 2016
Four short stories that are a follow-up to
The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories
with some good lessons for children (and parents!) to absorb as they laugh.
Series
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" (Horton, 2)
"Marco Comes Late" (Marco; Mulberry Street)
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town (Officer Pat; Mulberry Street)
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" (The Grinch, 2)
It's Marco and Officer Pat who spent so much time on Mulberry Street. Enough to spawn movies, radio shows, and music scores.
The Stories
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" incorporates Seuss' story-like rhyming, which makes this a fun read even if Horton is too naive but with great honor as he honors it when "a deal's a deal". The things that nasty, cheating kwuggerbug puts Horton through!?!
There are several great examples for parents to talk about with their kids: when a deal isn't a deal if someone manipulates you into it; "friends" who push you into doing what is unsafe or wrong; and, how to ensure that deal is quite clear! The cheating little kwuggerbug!!!
The end of "Marco Comes Late" found me ROFLMAO. It's a good excuse when the very imaginative Marco finds himself in a complex situation where he's held up by everyone else's opinions and needs to explain himself to Miss Block.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" follows a sequence of events Officer Pat dreams up. Once those events get rolling, well, lordy, lordy, the town will be a mess with too many of the citizens of Mulberry Street in the hospital! So it's the imaginative Officer Pat to the rescue, lol.
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" is a two-page short story of a Grinch with a sales pitch that will remind parents too well of pushy car salesmen!
The Cover and Title
The cover has a bright blue sky with Horton the Elephant snuggled into the deep grasses and bushes of the jungle, as he listens to a tiny yellow Kwuggerbug tell his tale.
The title begins with the first story and hints at the rest: Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories.
Series
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" (Horton, 2)
"Marco Comes Late" (Marco; Mulberry Street)
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town (Officer Pat; Mulberry Street)
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" (The Grinch, 2)
It's Marco and Officer Pat who spent so much time on Mulberry Street. Enough to spawn movies, radio shows, and music scores.
The Stories
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" incorporates Seuss' story-like rhyming, which makes this a fun read even if Horton is too naive but with great honor as he honors it when "a deal's a deal". The things that nasty, cheating kwuggerbug puts Horton through!?!
There are several great examples for parents to talk about with their kids: when a deal isn't a deal if someone manipulates you into it; "friends" who push you into doing what is unsafe or wrong; and, how to ensure that deal is quite clear! The cheating little kwuggerbug!!!
The end of "Marco Comes Late" found me ROFLMAO. It's a good excuse when the very imaginative Marco finds himself in a complex situation where he's held up by everyone else's opinions and needs to explain himself to Miss Block.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" follows a sequence of events Officer Pat dreams up. Once those events get rolling, well, lordy, lordy, the town will be a mess with too many of the citizens of Mulberry Street in the hospital! So it's the imaginative Officer Pat to the rescue, lol.
"The Hoobub and the Grinch" is a two-page short story of a Grinch with a sales pitch that will remind parents too well of pushy car salesmen!
The Cover and Title
The cover has a bright blue sky with Horton the Elephant snuggled into the deep grasses and bushes of the jungle, as he listens to a tiny yellow Kwuggerbug tell his tale.
The title begins with the first story and hints at the rest: Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories.
January 21, 2026
read this in class lmao
September 3, 2014
Two-second recap:
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories is a treasure trove of new tales to be added to the enduring legacy of Dr. Seuss.
Old fans and new readers will fall in love all over again with Horton, Marco, a ingenious police officer and a devious Grinch, as they explore the hows and whys of the world, with only the charm and honesty that a Dr. Seuss tale can provide.
***
Full review:
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham was one of the first books I read as a kid, and I've had an incredible fondness for him ever since. So when I read that four of his "lost" stories were being republished, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to dig in!
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories, reintroduces us to familiar characters from Dr. Seuss's previous works, in new settings and situations, but with Seuss's trademark heart and charm.
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" shows us what happens when Seuss's most faithful elephant agrees to go along with a crafty insect's quest, with very mixed results.
"Marco Comes Late" brings us back to Mulberry Street, as the impish Marco from "And To I Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street", explains quite sheepishly, why he's late for school.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" is another story that takes place on Mulberry Street, as a vigilant police officer prevents a gnat from causing catastrophe from hitting the street and beyond.
And finally, in "The Hoobub and the Grinch", one of Seuss's infamous Grinch's, convinces an innocent Hoobub to take part in a poor trade.
Even though these four familiar characters are undertaking new adventures, this quartet of stories all share a common theme: the idea that one individual can make a difference, for better or worse, in another's life.
Seuss's tacit emphasis that one person has the power to create ripple effects wherever they go, along with some surprisingly adult themes on ethics, is a powerful and thought-provoking message that will undoubtedly inspire positive dialogue between educators, parents and young readers alike.
Outside of Seuss's trademark tetrameter, the illustrations in the book are beautiful, nostalgic-inspiring, and will undoubtedly pull readers into the whimsy of the Seussian world.
Bottom line: Readers of all ages will love this new addition into the Dr. Seuss legacy, and will appreciate the book for its smart themes, and reminder of what the charm and heart of a Seussian world. I predict that this book will become a staple of many bedtime story rotations, and I look forward to sharing this with my own family in the years to come
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories is a treasure trove of new tales to be added to the enduring legacy of Dr. Seuss.
Old fans and new readers will fall in love all over again with Horton, Marco, a ingenious police officer and a devious Grinch, as they explore the hows and whys of the world, with only the charm and honesty that a Dr. Seuss tale can provide.
***
Full review:
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham was one of the first books I read as a kid, and I've had an incredible fondness for him ever since. So when I read that four of his "lost" stories were being republished, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to dig in!
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories, reintroduces us to familiar characters from Dr. Seuss's previous works, in new settings and situations, but with Seuss's trademark heart and charm.
"Horton and the Kwuggerbug" shows us what happens when Seuss's most faithful elephant agrees to go along with a crafty insect's quest, with very mixed results.
"Marco Comes Late" brings us back to Mulberry Street, as the impish Marco from "And To I Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street", explains quite sheepishly, why he's late for school.
"How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" is another story that takes place on Mulberry Street, as a vigilant police officer prevents a gnat from causing catastrophe from hitting the street and beyond.
And finally, in "The Hoobub and the Grinch", one of Seuss's infamous Grinch's, convinces an innocent Hoobub to take part in a poor trade.
Even though these four familiar characters are undertaking new adventures, this quartet of stories all share a common theme: the idea that one individual can make a difference, for better or worse, in another's life.
Seuss's tacit emphasis that one person has the power to create ripple effects wherever they go, along with some surprisingly adult themes on ethics, is a powerful and thought-provoking message that will undoubtedly inspire positive dialogue between educators, parents and young readers alike.
Outside of Seuss's trademark tetrameter, the illustrations in the book are beautiful, nostalgic-inspiring, and will undoubtedly pull readers into the whimsy of the Seussian world.
Bottom line: Readers of all ages will love this new addition into the Dr. Seuss legacy, and will appreciate the book for its smart themes, and reminder of what the charm and heart of a Seussian world. I predict that this book will become a staple of many bedtime story rotations, and I look forward to sharing this with my own family in the years to come
February 16, 2018
Now, here is a special book! A long lost treasure. And you know what? I couldn't wait to read it. I had to read the first story out loud to the dog. I don't think she appreciated the subtleties of the story. And my throat hurt since I haven't read aloud in years!
What made this book a treasure is the Introduction. It told about this book and other stories. Then having a deeper understanding of where the stories came from made the reader even more happy to see how wonderful and crazy Dr. Seuss's stories were.
And it isn't just crazy. zaniness Ted's stories there are always little morals or thought processes for the reader to get into and squeeze the life out of.
I hope you are able to get this book to enjoy.
What made this book a treasure is the Introduction. It told about this book and other stories. Then having a deeper understanding of where the stories came from made the reader even more happy to see how wonderful and crazy Dr. Seuss's stories were.
And it isn't just crazy. zaniness Ted's stories there are always little morals or thought processes for the reader to get into and squeeze the life out of.
I hope you are able to get this book to enjoy.
September 18, 2014
This was just as fantastic as you would imagine a new Dr. Seuss book to be! Matt and I read the stories out loud to each other (I read the first two, and he read the latter two). It was great fun to get to revisit our favorite characters in new stories: Horton, Mulberry Street, and a new Grinch feature in each. Poor Horton is still as gullible and innocent as usual (and the Kwuggerbug is a real jerk!). Mulberry Street is still home to strange goings-on (at least in the imaginations of its residents). And a Grinch would make an excellent used-car salesman in the real world :)
March 3, 2018
What an absolutely delightful read on a snowy, wintry day -- and it's Dr. Seuss' birthday!!
I wish I could tell Dr. Seuss how many of his stories have brought joy throughout my whole life. I read them as a child. I read them to my son. I read them to my young students, when I worked in a preschool.
The introduction tells why these stories were lost for so many decades, and is well worth the read, especially if you have any interest in Dr. Seuss' history and the history of the four stories contained in this book.
I wish I could tell Dr. Seuss how many of his stories have brought joy throughout my whole life. I read them as a child. I read them to my son. I read them to my young students, when I worked in a preschool.
The introduction tells why these stories were lost for so many decades, and is well worth the read, especially if you have any interest in Dr. Seuss' history and the history of the four stories contained in this book.
July 10, 2016
Love having new Dr. Seuss stories to enjoy with recurring characters from some of the old favorites. The story I enjoyed most in this volume was "How Officer Pat Saves the Whole Town." It is a reminder of how our police officers are faithful in the little things (in this case keeping a gnat from biting a cat) and that saves society at large from the big catastrophes.
August 27, 2014
I read this as an ARC from Edelweiss. It was great to finally read some unfamiliar stories by Dr. Seuss with some old favorites. I wish that there were a lot more of these out there somewhere!
September 11, 2014
Made my heart sing when I read this Amazing Dr Seuss stories!
March 15, 2023
This is a fun book of four short stories by Dr. Seuss. I definitely got some chuckles while reading them! I also appreciated that most, if not all, had a "lesson" to be learned. Additionally, I appreciated the introduction by a Dr. Seuss expert, that gave some of the history about Dr. Seuss and the discovery of these stories.
I don't "love" everything Dr. Seuss, but this is definitely a book I would add to my collection. (I might give this a 4 1/2 star rating, but didn't want to give it just a 4.)
(The copy I read only had 53 pages.)
I don't "love" everything Dr. Seuss, but this is definitely a book I would add to my collection. (I might give this a 4 1/2 star rating, but didn't want to give it just a 4.)
(The copy I read only had 53 pages.)
April 21, 2025
I never even knew these stories existed! I love Dr. Seuss stories, with the exception of The Cat in the Hat stories (they're okay, but even when I was a kid, I liked his other stories better). This is a fast read for an adult. It took maybe half an hour (I didn't time myself, though).
March 14, 2021
Cute stories that I think I saw were previously published in a magazine. I liked seeing previous characters pop up and the use of Mulberry street!
July 17, 2018
This is as good as Dr. Seuss's other books. I enjoyed it a lot, particularly the middle two stories.
October 5, 2018
These Seuss stories were new to me. What could be better than more Seuss?!
August 5, 2016
Going back and revisiting characters once an author has died is not always the best idea, too often the result smacks of a cash in that does not have any of the charm of the original. However, revisiting lesser works by the author is a different thing. If a fan has all the writer’s books, but never managed to get their hands on their obscure short stories or tales written for magazines, a new collection may just work. Even for as eccentric an author as Dr Seuss.
‘‘Horton and the Kwuggerbug’’ is a collection of four stories of varying lengths that have been gleaned from the Dr Seuss archive. Their relative obscurity is down to the fact that they come from magazines, rather than the slightly longer format books that Seuss is famed for. This book is packed with some of the characters fans will know well; from the titular Horton to the likes of The Grinch. The main tale is all about Horton and his naivety as he follows the mischievous Kwuggerbug up a mountain in search of some delicious berries.
The vault of Dr Seuss has already been raided recently in the special edition of [[What Pet Should I Get by Dr Seuss]], but unlike this book ‘‘Horton’’ is a group of stories that was given the Seuss seal of approval. One of the issues with ‘‘What Pet’’ was that it was found unfinished as if Seuss was not that pleased with the results, in fact some elements where rescued in a later book. ‘‘Horton’’ is not like this, the stories may be unfamiliar to fans, but they all went through Seuss’ strict editing before he allowed them to be published; for this reason, this a superior collection.
Although this outing is closer to vintage Seuss, it is not a masterpiece like some of his best known work. Instead, this is more of a love letter for fans hungry for a few more adventures they may have missed. The Horton story itself is the standout and feels like a full book length in itself, the other stories are not quite as strong; both ‘‘How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town’’ and ‘‘Marco Comes Late’’ are great fun, but feel a little sparse. The final story; ‘‘The Hoobub and the Grinch’’ is very brief and must have been a one page spread back in the day. All the tales are worth a read for fans of the author as you get new adventures, but also some new illustrations.
The drawings are all Dr Seuss drawn or inspired and as always add to the written word. The correlation between text and image is more biased towards text here than in most of his books as the editors have used the limited illustrations on offer. If any of the short stories had been made into a book I would imagine that far more pictures would have been present and as this is one of the most fun elements of a Seuss book. This does mean that this collection is a little dryer than some other works.
This latest ensemble of lost works by Dr Seuss is not the collection that you should look to first when reading the author as it is good, but not great. Instead, this is a book collated for the person who is already a fan. Adults will enjoy finding new Horton and Grinch tales, whilst children who has read a few other Dr Seuss books will still enjoy having the stories read to them and looking at the pictures. Unlike ‘‘What Pet’’, this new discovery from the vaults feels like something that is really worth purchasing by the fans – I for one have enjoyed them. Original review on bookbag.co.uk
‘‘Horton and the Kwuggerbug’’ is a collection of four stories of varying lengths that have been gleaned from the Dr Seuss archive. Their relative obscurity is down to the fact that they come from magazines, rather than the slightly longer format books that Seuss is famed for. This book is packed with some of the characters fans will know well; from the titular Horton to the likes of The Grinch. The main tale is all about Horton and his naivety as he follows the mischievous Kwuggerbug up a mountain in search of some delicious berries.
The vault of Dr Seuss has already been raided recently in the special edition of [[What Pet Should I Get by Dr Seuss]], but unlike this book ‘‘Horton’’ is a group of stories that was given the Seuss seal of approval. One of the issues with ‘‘What Pet’’ was that it was found unfinished as if Seuss was not that pleased with the results, in fact some elements where rescued in a later book. ‘‘Horton’’ is not like this, the stories may be unfamiliar to fans, but they all went through Seuss’ strict editing before he allowed them to be published; for this reason, this a superior collection.
Although this outing is closer to vintage Seuss, it is not a masterpiece like some of his best known work. Instead, this is more of a love letter for fans hungry for a few more adventures they may have missed. The Horton story itself is the standout and feels like a full book length in itself, the other stories are not quite as strong; both ‘‘How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town’’ and ‘‘Marco Comes Late’’ are great fun, but feel a little sparse. The final story; ‘‘The Hoobub and the Grinch’’ is very brief and must have been a one page spread back in the day. All the tales are worth a read for fans of the author as you get new adventures, but also some new illustrations.
The drawings are all Dr Seuss drawn or inspired and as always add to the written word. The correlation between text and image is more biased towards text here than in most of his books as the editors have used the limited illustrations on offer. If any of the short stories had been made into a book I would imagine that far more pictures would have been present and as this is one of the most fun elements of a Seuss book. This does mean that this collection is a little dryer than some other works.
This latest ensemble of lost works by Dr Seuss is not the collection that you should look to first when reading the author as it is good, but not great. Instead, this is a book collated for the person who is already a fan. Adults will enjoy finding new Horton and Grinch tales, whilst children who has read a few other Dr Seuss books will still enjoy having the stories read to them and looking at the pictures. Unlike ‘‘What Pet’’, this new discovery from the vaults feels like something that is really worth purchasing by the fans – I for one have enjoyed them. Original review on bookbag.co.uk
March 5, 2015
This book is comprised of four stories that were little known Dr. Seuss published pieces from about sixty years ago. Included are:
Horton and the Kwuggerbug: A kwuggerbug drops on Horton's head and tells him about a Beezlenut tree. He makes a bargain with Horton. He will tell Horton where the tree is if Horton will transport him there. Horton will get half of the nuts in exchange. But in the end the bug does not deal fairly with Horton and gets a consequence in return.
Marco Comes Late (Marco is from several Seuss stories including Mulberry Street): Marco comes late to school and spins an unbelievable tale for his teacher about a bird that lays an egg on his head.
How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town: Officer Pat saves the town by smacking a gnat who could have caused all sorts of trouble for the town according to the long tale he tells.
The Hoobub and the Grinch: The Grinch sells a Hoobub a piece of string after telling him how wonderful it is.
I was a bit worried about reading old stories of Seuss that popped up, thinking that they might not be of the same quality. But these four short stories are fun and the rhyming is zippy which helps move the stories along at a fast pace. The Hoobub and the Grinch is only 2 pages long which is a bit disappointing, but the other story lengths, although short are good lengths. The Horton story is rather negative with a moral that if you don't play fair, you will bear the negative consequences. The layout of the words is quite squished since they were putting four stories together. This might make it more difficult for new readers. But overall, I liked these stories and the nice thing about having more than one story in a book is that you can reread just your favorites.
Horton and the Kwuggerbug: A kwuggerbug drops on Horton's head and tells him about a Beezlenut tree. He makes a bargain with Horton. He will tell Horton where the tree is if Horton will transport him there. Horton will get half of the nuts in exchange. But in the end the bug does not deal fairly with Horton and gets a consequence in return.
Marco Comes Late (Marco is from several Seuss stories including Mulberry Street): Marco comes late to school and spins an unbelievable tale for his teacher about a bird that lays an egg on his head.
How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town: Officer Pat saves the town by smacking a gnat who could have caused all sorts of trouble for the town according to the long tale he tells.
The Hoobub and the Grinch: The Grinch sells a Hoobub a piece of string after telling him how wonderful it is.
I was a bit worried about reading old stories of Seuss that popped up, thinking that they might not be of the same quality. But these four short stories are fun and the rhyming is zippy which helps move the stories along at a fast pace. The Hoobub and the Grinch is only 2 pages long which is a bit disappointing, but the other story lengths, although short are good lengths. The Horton story is rather negative with a moral that if you don't play fair, you will bear the negative consequences. The layout of the words is quite squished since they were putting four stories together. This might make it more difficult for new readers. But overall, I liked these stories and the nice thing about having more than one story in a book is that you can reread just your favorites.
May 31, 2018
Unknown Dr. Seuss stories. I enjoyed reading this. Got this as the first shipment in my amazon prime book selection for kids. Great idea.
February 2, 2016
This book contains "Horton and the Kwuggerbug," which is about an elephant named Horton that is drawn in to help Kwuggerbug get to a beezlenut tree. They make a deal that is Horton is the transportation, than Kwuggerbug will split have the beezlenuts with Horton. The Kwuggerbug is quite bossy and even a little sneaky.
This book also has a short story called, "Marco Comes Late." Marco arrives to school late and is questioned by his teacher. Marco starts to explain his excuse. He says he left early for school in hopes to be the first one there, when something fell on his head and he just could not decide whether or not to make it fall off or keep still!
The next story is "How officer Pat Saved the Whole Town." This is about an officer named Pat who is always looking out for trouble. One day he feels something quite off and then he spots a gnat. His minds wanders as to how this gnat can cause all sorts of problems all throughout the town and it is his job to keep any of that from happening!
The final story is called, "The Hoobub and the Grinch." This is about a Hoobub who admires the sun and how much joy it brings! The Grinch comes along and tries to sell him a green string that will never go away unlike the sun. The grinch provides reason after reason as to why the Hoobub should buy the string. The Grinch is quite the salesman!
These short stories are so cute and fun. I loved the illustrations and how they portray to the stories! I would definitely use this in my classroom one day!
I love Dr. Seuss and plan to have MANY of these books in my library!
This book also has a short story called, "Marco Comes Late." Marco arrives to school late and is questioned by his teacher. Marco starts to explain his excuse. He says he left early for school in hopes to be the first one there, when something fell on his head and he just could not decide whether or not to make it fall off or keep still!
The next story is "How officer Pat Saved the Whole Town." This is about an officer named Pat who is always looking out for trouble. One day he feels something quite off and then he spots a gnat. His minds wanders as to how this gnat can cause all sorts of problems all throughout the town and it is his job to keep any of that from happening!
The final story is called, "The Hoobub and the Grinch." This is about a Hoobub who admires the sun and how much joy it brings! The Grinch comes along and tries to sell him a green string that will never go away unlike the sun. The grinch provides reason after reason as to why the Hoobub should buy the string. The Grinch is quite the salesman!
These short stories are so cute and fun. I loved the illustrations and how they portray to the stories! I would definitely use this in my classroom one day!
I love Dr. Seuss and plan to have MANY of these books in my library!
February 23, 2015
I was looking for something new to read with a group of first graders for Read Across America and "new" and "Dr. Seuss" can rarely be used in the same sentence. This collection of lost stories originally appeared in Redboo in the 1950s. I think the kids will enjoy seeing an old favorite, Horton, in a new-to-them tale. True Seuss fans will also recognize Marco and Mulberry Street.
There are four short stories ( Horton and the Kwuggerbug, Marco Comes Late, How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town, and The Hoobub and the Grinch) and an introduction regarding their origins in the book. The titular story is very Horton-esque and I think kids will find it familiar. Marco's story is cute, if not a cautionary tale about myriad issues: excuses, fibbing, punctuality, etc. Officer Pat's story is a humorous take on if/then situations, cause and effect, and prevention.
My least favorite is The Hoobub and the Grinch. This may or may not confuse children as the Grinch isn't the same guy who stole Christmas. Then again, Horton's Whoville is located on a speck of dust inside a clover flower, but the Grinch's Whoville situated on a snowflakeand and kids don't seem to notice/mind. This Grinch is capitalistic like the Once-ler and borderline annoying.
All in all, it's a good book, and I think the kids will enjoy hearing a few quick, "new" Dr. Seuss stories, rather than sit through a long, old one. :)
There are four short stories ( Horton and the Kwuggerbug, Marco Comes Late, How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town, and The Hoobub and the Grinch) and an introduction regarding their origins in the book. The titular story is very Horton-esque and I think kids will find it familiar. Marco's story is cute, if not a cautionary tale about myriad issues: excuses, fibbing, punctuality, etc. Officer Pat's story is a humorous take on if/then situations, cause and effect, and prevention.
My least favorite is The Hoobub and the Grinch. This may or may not confuse children as the Grinch isn't the same guy who stole Christmas. Then again, Horton's Whoville is located on a speck of dust inside a clover flower, but the Grinch's Whoville situated on a snowflakeand and kids don't seem to notice/mind. This Grinch is capitalistic like the Once-ler and borderline annoying.
All in all, it's a good book, and I think the kids will enjoy hearing a few quick, "new" Dr. Seuss stories, rather than sit through a long, old one. :)
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