by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 08, 2009

It's one of Dr. Seuss's first books - and one of his most popular. Before the Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, or even "Horton Hears a Who," it was this book that introduced children to the joy of his funny rhymes. It's got the same simple illustrations - smiling animals drawn with lots of curvy lines. But when Dr. Seuss wrote this book, he was just 36!

It's got the same funny rhythm he would later make famous. ("Sighed Mayzie, a lazy bird hatching an egg: 'I'm tired and I'm bored and I've kinks in my leg.'") And Horton the elephant appears on the second page, though it would be 14 more years before he'd return in "Horton Hears a Who." In this story, he's asked to take a turn warming the bird's egg. And in Seuss's silly world, the elephant does just that - after propping up the tree with a few fork-shaped sticks!

"Then carefully, tenderly, gently he crept up to the nest where the little eggs slept..."

Horton closes his eyes proudly, as he lowers his behind into the tiny nest. It's a ridiculous drawing - the tree's trunk bends, but it doesn't snap, and the elephant actually looks comfortable. But more than that, he looks pleased, performing his favor with dignity. Unfortunately, the smile disappears when a horrendous rainstorm arrives.

Seuss draws fierce lines of rain coming down, and he shades them green with red lightning. Even the color scheme of this book has a funny tone. On the next page, there's a bright white cloud, and the green represents the rest a tropical sky. The bird is reclining in a palm tree by a beach - and Seuss uses the red to draw colorful umbrellas on the beach.

What I like about this book is it's humorous tone. Turn the page again, and now Horton the elephant is covered with icicles. His red eyelids look droopy, but the rest of the page is a snowy white (on a dark green background), and each page brings a new surprise. When spring comes, there's a crowd of animals that's gathered around, because they want to mock the poor elephant.

Seuss managed to give his drawings so much personality, and the rhymes give real hints about the animal's character. ("I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred per cent!") Horton remains loyal to his mission for the bird - even though the bird has decided to stay on vacation forever in Palm Beach. And Dr. Seuss seems to have a message about how our gentlest impulses always end up commercialized. When three hunters spot the elephant on the egg, they're moved enough not to shoot him - but not because they're touched by his loyalty.

"Let's take him alive. Why, he's terribly funny! We'll sell him back home to a circus, for money!"

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