Long ago the world was filled with the wonders of Truffala Trees, Swo-mee Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots and Humming Fishes. Our narrator, the Once-ler, is remembering them all and remembering how he saw the beauty of the Truffala Tree tufts and chopped them down to make Thneeds to sell to one and all. The marketing slogan went like this: "It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat."
The greedy Once-ler never considered that he was chopping down all the Truffala Trees but little by little they disappeared and the creatures who lived among them disappeared as well as their habitat was destroyed.
A furry, wise, charming fellow by the name of The Lorax tried to speak for the trees since "the trees have no tongues," and they need a champion. He warns the Once-ler over and over again. Will the Once-ler listen and understand what he is doing?
The Lorax's final message is left with a large rock etched with one word, "Unless."
The story is an early ecological warning to us that we need to take care of our planet and safeguard its natural resources wisely.
72 pages 978-0394823379 Ages 5-9
Keywords: environment, environmental stewardship, conservation, trees, nature, science, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, stories in verse
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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Celebrate nature with Dr. Seuss and the Lorax in this classic picture book about protecting the environment!
I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to speak up and stand up for those who can’t. With a recycling-friendly “Go Green” message, The Lorax allows young readers to experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted, all in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference.
Printed on recycled paper, this book is the perfect gift for Earth Day and for any child—or child at heart—who is interested in recycling, advocacy, and the environment, or just loves nature and playing outside.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.---from the publisher
“Pretty much all the stuff you need to know is in Dr. Seuss.” –President Barack Obama
