Who is Cindy Lou Who?
Quick answer
Cindy Lou Who is a little girl from Whoville in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957). She catches the Grinch, disguised as Santa, stealing her family’s Christmas tree, and he lies to her that he’s taking it to fix a broken light. In the book she’s described as “no more than two.”
Her role in the story
In the book, Cindy Lou has just a small scene, but it’s one of the most memorable. Waking up for a drink of water, she finds “Santa” taking the tree. The Grinch pats her head, gives her a drink and sends her back to bed. Her innocence is one of the things that later helps his heart grow three sizes.
Cindy Lou Who in each version
| Version | Year | Who played or voiced her | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | 1957 | — | A brief but key scene |
| Animated TV special | 1966 | Voiced by June Foray | Close to the book |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas (live action) | 2000 | Taylor Momsen | A much bigger role: she befriends the Grinch and questions Whoville’s commercialism |
| The Grinch (animated) | 2018 | Voiced by Cameron Seely | A determined girl who wants to meet Santa to help her overworked mom |
| The Grinch Musical | Stage, TV 2020 | Various performers | Based on the book |
The 2000 film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch, turned Cindy Lou into the heart of the story. Taylor Momsen later became the lead singer of the rock band The Pretty Reckless.
Costume tips
Cindy Lou Who is a popular Christmas and Halloween costume:
- Hair in a high, upturned ponytail or “antenna” style, tied with ribbons
- A pink or red nightgown or a festive dress
- Rosy cheeks and a small, turned-up nose with makeup
Where the Whos come from
The Whos first appeared in Horton Hears a Who! (1954), though in that book they live on a speck of dust. See what Horton Hears a Who! is about. Counting down to the holidays? Check how many days until Christmas.
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