Parents' Guide to

Horton Hears a Who

By Robyn Raymer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

A whimsical tale with a stirring message.

Book Dr. Seuss For Beginning Readers 1954
Horton Hears a Who Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Art Isall
Art Isall Adult
April 26, 2014
age 8+

Very Scary!

I was very surprised this did not have a scary rating. There are many scary aspects in this film. The kangaroo is very mean. There is a mob scene that is terrifying to my 5 year old. He is very sensitive but this movie had some really scary parts. I like the overall story and it is interesting, but if you have kids sensitive to movies then this is a definite "too scary" one.

This title has:

Too much violence
Nextbestthing
Nextbestthing Adult
September 3, 2011
age 5+

Horton should be every kid's hero!

Horton Hears a Who is one of Seuss' best books! I'm 21 and I still enjoy it. It teaches a valuable lesson in helping those who cannot help themselves. It is a little intense at the end when animals attack the protagonist, so I'd say to wait until your kids are old enough to not panic!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Horton adopts a petite planet full of perky little persons led by a tiny, gallant mayor. Believing Horton must be crazy to befriend a dust speck, a snooty, meddlesome kangaroo and her gang of monkey roughnecks decide to boil the elephant's microscopic pals in Beezle-Nut oil! Seuss takes readers on a whimsical tale with a stirring message.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (7):

Inside hulking Horton dwells the soul of a gentle, steadfast caretaker, and Seuss uses the elephant's immensity to make a point about taking care of those more vulnerable than ourselves. In one two-page picture, Horton is so huge that there are only a few scraps of blue sky showing. In contrast, the dust speck on the pink clover is bitty indeed. (And if their planet is this tiny, how microscopic are the Whos?) Gigantic-eared Horton hears them all along -- perhaps his compassionate soul acts as a cosmic hearing aid.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Horton's compassion. Why does he feel the need to help small, vulnerable beings? What does this teach us about how to treat others in the real world?

Book Details

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