The Lorax Still Speaks for the Trees
A couple of days ago I revisited my childhood and caught up with my old friends Dr. Seuss and the Lorax. It was the least I could do, seeing that it was Dr. Suess’s 105th birthday. Of course, he is no longer with us, but The Lorax lives on and should be required reading for anyone aged from 1 to 101 or more.
You do remember the Lorax, don’t you? If not, let me remind you about this character created by Dr. Seuss in 1971. A strange gopher-like creature with a fluffy blond mustache and a sheepish smile, the Lorax battles a greedy businessman named Once-ler who arrives in the forest, builds a huge factory and then fells all the Trufulla trees to create a new product he thinks everyone needs.
He chops and he chops til there are no trees left, despite the Lorax’s warnings that without the Truffula trees, the forest will disappear. And disappear it did, for Once-ler would not stop and in the end the wildlife and the Lorax just had to leave.
The Lorax was ahead of its time with its story of environmental destruction and deforestation. It certainly is now considered a green classic – for kids and adults, too.
Last year, The Lorax was re-released on Earth Day, complete with a special environmental message and printed on recycled paper. The Lorax Project, a child-friendly interactive web site designed to raise awareness of green issues and inspire everyone to be more earth-friendly, was also launched.
Having re-introduced you to the Lorax, it’s only fair you hear what he says in the end…
“Unless
someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.”
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3 Comments
March 5th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Hooray! Thanks for the reminder!
March 5th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Liz, great reminder of how Seuss was not just a brilliant creator of characters, but an early environmentalist who shuddered at the notion of losing our natural landscapes and forests. Like many authors of kids’ books, his stories contained many messages for adults about our role in caring for the planet.
March 6th, 2009 at 2:17 am
I loved the Lorax as a kid, though I found it a bit scary too. I’ll have to dig out a copy for my little brother and sister.
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