Seussical Jr. Costumes
Just like the scenery and props, the costumes for Seussical Jr. are all about using your imagination. And the
authors let us know in their notes—less is often more. Dr. Seuss’ books are a great source of inspiration for color and style
for the costumes, but trying to copy the designs exactly as they are in the book would be difficult. The following
suggestions are just that—suggestions. They are here to inspire you and your cast to create your own magic.
Horton: A gray sweat suit or oversized t-shirt is a good base costume for Horton. Add a darker gray or brown hunter’s cap
with big, woolly sides, a padded vest, and some black work boots to give the costume more dimension and help establish
Horton’s character.
Gertrude: Gertrude is not a flashy bird, but she should still be colorful and fun. A light blue top, patterned pants, and
striped leggings will make her fun, but not too crazy. A simple feather attached to a string tied around her waist is great
before her tail grows. You can use a feathered boa, or maybe a few connected together, for her new and improved tail.
Mayzie: Mayzie loves being the center of attention and her costume should prove it. A sequined or fringe covered colorful
dress is the perfect base costume. Make sure the dress allows for movement and that the color is something bright and
eye-catching. There should be an obvious difference between Mayzie and Gertrude. Remember, Mayzie also needs to
have a fabulous multi-colored tail that is the envy of everyone around her.
Wickershams/Monkeys: These are the rambunctious and fun loving guys whose costumes should seem young and
energetic. Orange t-shirts with brown pants and suspenders, or brown overalls, will give the audience the idea of a
monkey and a child at the same time. Add different styles of dark brown hats to give each student an individual character.
Bird Girls: Soft, fluffy, feathery, and pretty is the way to go for the Bird Girls. They should have flowing costumes that
either all match or are color coordinated with each other. Trim the dresses with thin boas or extra feathers to add
dimension and character to the costumes.
Jojo: Jojo is just a typical active child. Think shorts, a striped shirt and fun sneakers. Remember, Jojo is still a character in
a Dr. Seuss inspired story, so there should be some fun to these pieces. Also, Jojo is a Who and his costume needs to look
right with all of the other Who costumes.
Citizens of Who: One of the easiest ways to costume the Whos is to choose one color to serve as their base costume. Then
find all the clothes you can with this color in common and experiment with adding colorful accessories that have different
patterns like polka dots, stripes, etc. Having the same base color will help the audience clearly see the connection among
the Whos, while the additional colorful costume pieces will give each Who their own character. Play around with different
styles and time periods to make the Who costumes fund and quirky.
Mr. Mayor/Mrs. Mayor: They should be costumed in the same style as the other Whos, but should also seem slightly
dressier to show wealth. For example, add a top hat for Mr. Mayor and gloves for Mrs. Mayor.
The Cat in the Hat: The audience probably has the most pre-conceived thoughts about what The Cat in the Hat looks like.
You can achieve this look by having The Cat wear black pants, a black suit jacket, a white shirt, and a red and white
striped hat. Feel free to embellish this any way you want.
Sour Kangaroo/ Young Kangaroo: The Sour Kangaroo should have some sass and style in her costume. An African print
shirt paired with loose, baggy pants is a great look. You will also need to design a pocket or opening where the Young
Kangaroo can come out of if you choose to use a puppet for this character. The young Kangaroo should be dressed
identically to the Sour Kangaroo.
Circus Animals, Jungle Citizens, Etc.: The most important part of costuming these folks is to use color and style to help
the audience know who each character is with visual clues. Once you have established a look for all of the other costumes,
use the same basic ideas for these characters. Use you imagination, and the imagination of your students, to bring the
circus and jungle to life.