Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Charles D. Cohen, the avid Seussian behind The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories, presents another four little-known manuscripts by Theodor Seuss Geisel. In his introduction, Cohen contextualizes the tales, which were published in Redbook and never became full-fledged picture books. In the title tale, "Horton and the Kwuggerbug" (1951), an insect and "terrible fellow! That Kwuggerbug guy" fools gentle Horton into ferrying him across an alligator-infested river and up a mountain to a delicious, out-of-reach Beezlenut tree. "Marco Comes Late" (1950) reprises And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street as Marco exaggerates his reasons for arriving late to school. Mulberry Street's escalating formula likewise figures in "How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town" (1950), about a policeman who anticipates trouble on a quiet day. The most interesting entry is a two-page fragment, "The Hoobub and the Grinch" (1955), in which a proto-Grinch character urges a gullible creature to pay 98' for some string. By no means gems, these archives suggest how Geisel tinkered with characters, developed his signature tetrameter, and commented on ethical issues, circa 1950. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 3-Revisit some old friends and make a few new ones with this wonderful book of lost Seuss stories, previously published in Redbook magazine during the 1950s. These four gems are further evidence of the timelessness of Dr. Seuss. In "Horton and the Kwuggerbug," Horton (almost) gets bamboozled by a clever, conniving Kwuggerbug. In "Marco Comes Late," Marco's tall tale is an imaginative masterpiece, but it fails to fool his teacher, Miss Block. The very keen and alert Officer Pat's forward-chaining logic-starting with a gnat and a cat-saves the town from utmost certainty of being blown to smithereens in "How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town." In "The Hoobub and the Grinch" the world is full of Grinches trying to sell Hoobubs swamp land, bridges, or in this case, green string. Chris Cox's rhythmical narration is perfect. Included is a brief commentary on Dr. Seuss' writing career by Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen. VERDICT This is a great choice for Seuss fans of all ages.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Published in magazines, never seen since / Now resurrected for pleasure intense / Versified episodes numbering four / Featuring Marco, and Horton and more!All of the entries in this follow-up to The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories (2011) involve a certain amount of sharp dealing. Horton carries a Kwuggerbug through crocodile-infested waters and up a steep mountain because a deal is a dealand then is cheated out of his promised share of delicious Beezlenuts. Officer Pat heads off escalating, imagined disasters on Mulberry Street by clubbing a pesky gnat. Marco (originally met on that same Mulberry Street) concocts a baroque excuse for being late to school. In the closer, a smooth-talking Grinch (not the green sort) sells a gullible Hoobub a piece of string. In a lively introduction, uber-fan Charles D. Cohen (The Seuss, The Whole Seuss, and Nothing but the Seuss, 2002) provides publishing histories, places characters and settings in Seussian context, and offers insights into, for instance, the origin of Grinch. Along with predictably engaging wordplayHe climbed. He grew dizzy. His ankles grew numb. / But he climbed and he climbed and he clum and he clumeach tale features bright, crisply reproduced renditions of its original illustrations. Except for The Hoobub and the Grinch, which has been jammed into a single spread, the verses and pictures are laid out in spacious, visually appealing ways.Fans both young and formerly young will be pleased100 percent. (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.