The story was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook.[1] The book criticizes the commercialization of Christmas.[2] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named it one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". In 2012 it was ranked number 61 among the "Top 100 Picture Books" in a survey published by School Library Journal – the fourth of five Dr. Seuss books on the list.