# Whoville
**Whoville** (also spelled Who-ville) is the fictional town inhabited by the Whos, the small humanoid creatures created by the children's author [Dr. Seuss](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-seuss) (Theodor Seuss Geisel). It is the central setting of two of his books, *Horton Hears a Who!* (1954) and *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* (1957), and of their screen adaptations.[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) In the Grinch story, the green Grinch lives in a cave on Mount Crumpit above the town and tries to stop Christmas from arriving by stealing the presents, decorations, and food of the Whos, who love the holiday.[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) • [2](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL931828M/How_the_Grinch_stole_Christmas)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creator | Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel); Whoville first appeared in *Horton Hears a Who!* (1954)[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733) |
| Inhabitants | The Whos, anthropomorphic creatures with human and dog-like features; very few are named[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) • [3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733) |
| Location | In *Horton Hears a Who!* the town sits on a speck of dust; the 2000 film places it inside a snowflake[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) |
| Neighbor | The Grinch, who lives on Mount Crumpit just north of the town[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) |
| Screen adaptations | 1966 Chuck Jones animated TV special; 2000 live-action film with Jim Carrey; 2018 Illumination animated film with Benedict Cumberbatch[4](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-grinch-dr-seuss-christmas-movies-compared) |
| Book sales | The original Grinch book has sold nearly 10 million copies in North America[5](https://apnews.com/article/5524eaf8396afaa8db26b7390c1b285e) |
## The books
Dr. Seuss introduced Whoville in *Horton Hears a Who!* (1954), where the elephant Horton hears a small yelp from a speck of dust and goes to great lengths to prove that the Whos exist.[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733) • [1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) In the original book, the speck's spokesman is simply the Mayor of Whoville, speaking because he is in charge.[6](https://mutantreviewersmovies.com/2011/08/02/deneb-does-horton-hears-a-who-tales-of-the-vhs-part-3/)
Three years later, in *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* (1957, [Random House](https://www.edgepedia.org/random-house)), Geisel brought back the name for a different setting: the Whos live in a valley near Mount Crumpit, and the Grinch looks down on them from the mountain.[7](https://thefrenchblacktype.com/why-dr-seuss-who-characters-still-confuse-everyone-and-how-to-tell-them-apart-1s6q) The book opens with the line "Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot," and the Grinch, who lives just north of the town, does not.[8](https://books.google.com/books?id=adGLDwAAQBAJ) He disguises himself as [Santa Claus](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-claus), steals the Whos' gifts and food on [Christmas Eve](https://www.edgepedia.org/christmas-eve), and expects them to cry; instead they sing, and his heart grows three sizes before he returns everything and joins the celebration.[9](https://as.com/us/actualidad/cual-es-la-historia-original-del-grinch-cual-es-la-historia-de-fondo-del-libro-del-dr-seuss-n/) The only Who who catches him in the act is Cindy-Lou Who, described in the book as "not more than two."[7](https://thefrenchblacktype.com/why-dr-seuss-who-characters-still-confuse-everyone-and-how-to-tell-them-apart-1s6q)
The two books do not describe the same town. In *Horton Hears a Who!* Whoville sits on a speck of dust; in the Grinch story the Whos live in a valley near a several-thousand-foot Mount Crumpit, and the book never states the town's broader location.[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville) • [10](https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/3d2eb263-d84d-4685-94d3-47a32ff8abb4/downloads/42524174859.pdf) The Whos of the two books also look fairly dissimilar outside their general characteristics.[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733)
## The Whos
The Whos are anthropomorphic creatures with qualities that appear somewhat human and somewhat dog-inspired. In *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* they have two arms, two legs, eyes, hair, and ears resembling human beings, while their mouth and nose look like they belong to a dog.[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733) Their appearance changes from version to version:
- In the *Horton Hears a Who!* book, the Whos are furry from head to toe, including their hands and feet.[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733)
- The 2000 live-action film depicts them as slightly more human, with human skin tones and pointy noses with no philtrum.[3](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733)
- The 2018 animated film returns to a softer, more "plush" look closer to the 1966 version, with diverse body types and skin tones, and a Whoville that resembles a high-tech gingerbread city.[11](https://ffcampaignforchildren.org/why-pictures-of-the-whos-from-the-grinch-still-fascinate-us-decades-later-o2r)
Very few Whos are named. Besides Cindy-Lou Who, the 2000 film introduced characters such as Betty Lou Who and expanded the role of Mayor May Who.[12](https://party.alibaba.com/christmas/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-whoville)
## Screen adaptations
**1966 television special.** *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* was adapted by CBS as a 26-minute animated TV special directed by [Chuck Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/chuck-jones), with [Boris Karloff](https://www.edgepedia.org/boris-karloff) as narrator and the voice of the Grinch.[13](https://www.filmsite.org/howthegrinch.html) Jones's animation stayed close to Seuss's illustrated characterizations, using 1960s-vintage yellows, pinks, purples, oranges, and blues rather than a constant red-and-green palette.[4](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-grinch-dr-seuss-christmas-movies-compared)
**2000 live-action film.** [Ron Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-howard)'s *Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas* starred [Jim Carrey](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-carrey) as the Grinch and [Taylor Momsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-momsen) as Cindy-Lou Who.[13](https://www.filmsite.org/howthegrinch.html) Production designer Michael Corenblith designed the Who-ville buildings, researching mountain towns and the work of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, and pitched the town as a European-style settlement with centuries of layered architecture; the sets filled three of the biggest soundstages on the Universal lot and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction.[14](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2000/Volume-23-Issue-12-December-2000-/The-Sleigh-and-the-Rocks-and-the-Whos-and-their-.aspx) • [15](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/live-action-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-production-designer-interview) Special effects makeup artist Rick Baker turned Carrey into the Grinch using green makeup, prosthetics, and yak hair, and turned the other actors into Whos; the film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup.[14](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2000/Volume-23-Issue-12-December-2000-/The-Sleigh-and-the-Rocks-and-the-Whos-and-their-.aspx) • [13](https://www.filmsite.org/howthegrinch.html) Costume designer Rita Ryack chose a 1950s aesthetic for the film's 450 costumes and had more than 250 knitted pieces made on hand looms, deliberately avoiding Universal's request for Whos styled as "contemporary cultural icons."[16](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-30-cl-58962-story.html) • [17](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-2000-a-deep-dive-into-costume-design/) In this version the Whos are materialistic and consumer-focused, and the town learns the true meaning of Christmas alongside the Grinch.[18](https://www.ballstatedaily.com/byte/article/2018/11/history-of-dr-seuss-film-adaptations) The film's opening places Whoville inside a snowflake.[13](https://www.filmsite.org/howthegrinch.html)
**2008 and 2018 animated films.** [Blue Sky Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/blue-sky-studios) adapted *Horton Hears a Who!* in 2008, realizing the microscopic inhabitants of Whoville in 3D animation.[19](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rt-explores-the-art-of-horton-hears-a-who/) Illumination's *The Grinch* (2018), with [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/benedict-cumberbatch) voicing the title character, returned to the book for its grounding and depicted Whoville as an idyllic, open-hearted holiday community; its designers built an entire 3D computer model of the town so that it followed the internal logic of real-world city planning.[4](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-grinch-dr-seuss-christmas-movies-compared) • [20](https://www.female.com.au/dr-seuss-the-grinch.htm) In this version the Whos are kind and cooperative, and the Grinch is welcomed rather than feared.[21](https://www.bitsandbeing.com/p/a-tale-of-three-grinches)
## Later developments
In 2023, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children's Books announced a sequel book, *How the Grinch Lost Christmas!*, written by Alastair Heim and illustrated by Aristides Ruiz, in which the Grinch competes for Who-ville's Christmas Crown.[5](https://apnews.com/article/5524eaf8396afaa8db26b7390c1b285e) Universal and [Imagine Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/imagine-entertainment) have also been reported to be developing a sequel to the 2000 live-action film, with Jim Carrey in talks to reprise the role.[22](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-hope-jim-carrey-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-sequel-inspired-by-cartoon-halloween-is-grinch-night) A 1977 ABC special, *Halloween is Grinch Night*, also features the Grinch coming down to Whoville on [Halloween](https://www.edgepedia.org/halloween).[1](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville)
## References
1. [Whoville, Dr. Seuss Wiki (Fandom)](https://seuss.fandom.com/wiki/Whoville)
2. [How the Grinch stole Christmas, Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL931828M/How_the_Grinch_stole_Christmas)
3. [What do the characters of Whoville look like?, Forinfos](https://www.forinfos.com/en-gb/article/characters-whoville-look-like-912155a4097d4733)
4. [Which Grinch? Comparing All the Different Grinch Movies, SYFY WIRE](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-grinch-dr-seuss-christmas-movies-compared)
5. [Dr. Seuss' 'How the Grinch stole Christmas!' gets a sequel, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/5524eaf8396afaa8db26b7390c1b285e)
6. [Horton Hears a Who! (1970), Mutant Reviewers](https://mutantreviewersmovies.com/2011/08/02/deneb-does-horton-hears-a-who-tales-of-the-vhs-part-3/)
7. [Why Dr Seuss Who Characters Still Confuse Everyone, Thefrenchblacktype](https://thefrenchblacktype.com/why-dr-seuss-who-characters-still-confuse-everyone-and-how-to-tell-them-apart-1s6q)
8. [How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=adGLDwAAQBAJ)
9. [¿Cuál es la historia original del Grinch?, AS](https://as.com/us/actualidad/cual-es-la-historia-original-del-grinch-cual-es-la-historia-de-fondo-del-libro-del-dr-seuss-n/)
10. [Horton Hears a Who mayor of Whoville (PDF)](https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/3d2eb263-d84d-4685-94d3-47a32ff8abb4/downloads/42524174859.pdf)
11. [Why Pictures of the Whos from The Grinch Still Fascinate Us, Ffcampaignforchildren](https://ffcampaignforchildren.org/why-pictures-of-the-whos-from-the-grinch-still-fascinate-us-decades-later-o2r)
12. [Whoville in 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' Explained, Alibaba Party](https://party.alibaba.com/christmas/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-whoville)
13. [(Dr. Seuss') How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Filmsite](https://www.filmsite.org/howthegrinch.html)
14. [The Sleigh and the Rocks and the Whos and their Socks, Computer Graphics World](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2000/Volume-23-Issue-12-December-2000-/The-Sleigh-and-the-Rocks-and-the-Whos-and-their-.aspx)
15. [How Citizen Kane Inspired Ron Howard's Live-Action Grinch Film, SYFY WIRE](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/live-action-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-production-designer-interview)
16. [A Whobilation of Color, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-30-cl-58962-story.html)
17. [How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): Costume Design Explained, DocumentaryTube](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-2000-a-deep-dive-into-costume-design/)
18. [History of Dr. Seuss Film Adaptations, Ball State Daily](https://www.ballstatedaily.com/byte/article/2018/11/history-of-dr-seuss-film-adaptations)
19. [RT Explores the Art of Horton Hears A Who, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rt-explores-the-art-of-horton-hears-a-who/)
20. [Benedict Cumberbatch Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, Female.com.au](https://www.female.com.au/dr-seuss-the-grinch.htm)
21. [A Tale of Three Grinches, Bits and Being](https://www.bitsandbeing.com/p/a-tale-of-three-grinches)
22. [I Really Hope Jim Carrey's How The Grinch Stole Christmas Sequel Takes Inspiration From A Deep Cut Cartoon, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-hope-jim-carrey-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-sequel-inspired-by-cartoon-halloween-is-grinch-night)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Creative written works and worlds › Adaptations, tie-ins, and fictional worlds › Fictional universes, characters, and places › Fictional towns, villages, and cities*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license