The Lorax by Theodor Seuss Geisel

The Lorax is the story of a man, the Once-ler, who moves into a land where beautiful Truffula trees grow, Swomee Swans sing, Humming fish swim, and Brown Barba-loots live. The Once-ler cuts down a tree and uses it to make some product, called a Thneed. When he does, a little monkey man, who also sort of looks like an owl with a beard, pops out of the tree trunk and asks him not to cut down trees. The Once-ler ignores him and continues to cut down more and more trees to make his Thneeds.

As he continues to cut down trees, the Lorax repeatedly points out the effect his actions are having on the environment. He explains to him how the Barba-loots can no longer feed on the Truffula fruit and the humming fish can no longer swim in the water, made toxic by industrial waste the Once-ler is dumping into the local stream. The Swomee swan cannot sing because of all of the smog in the air. Finally, as the very last Truffula tree is chopped down, the Lorax gives up and leaves his once beautiful forest.

The Once-ler is left all alone to live in the wasteland that he has created. He recounts this whole story to a little boy and then tosses him a seed. He tells him it is the last Truffula seed in existence. He should plant it and protect it in hopes that the beautiful forest will someday return.

Seuss wrote this book decades ago. Though the problems with mass industrialization and limited environmental protections existed in his day as well as in ours, Seuss showed foresight in highlighting what the future would hold for all of us unless some change is made.

If The Lorax were released today as a new children’s book, I believe it would be not only award-winning, but bestselling. There are many people who still do not believe in global warming or the effects of industrialization on our environment, but I believe the number of people who think this way is shrinking rapidly.

The Lorax could have also struggled in sales because, while it is still a children’s book, it is quite a bit more difficult to read than The Cat in the Hat. There are more invented words, such as Thneed, Barba-loot, and Truffula, but there are also more complicated sentences and ideas. It is the type of book that a parent or teacher might read with a child and then discuss, asking leading questions that might further understanding.

 

Geisel, T.S. (1971). The lorax. New York, NY: Random House.