Seuss, Dr. The Lorax.

Title

The Lorax

Author

Seuss, Dr. (Theodore Seuss Geisel)

Publisher

Random House, New York

Year

1971

ISBN

0394823370 (Hardcover)

Illustrations

Seuss, Dr. (drawings)

Pages

70

Categories

Lorax, pollution, ecology, children, Once-ler, rhyme

Language

English (en-US), Spanish (es)

From the Book Cover

"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Never before has it been so important to appreciate the message of The Lorax, Dr. Seuss's eloquent cautionary tale of industrial greed and blatant disregard for the environment.
Now this timeless classic, first published in 1971, is brought to life by celebrated actor and environmental advocate Ted Danson.
Accompanied by original music, Mr. Danson narrates the story of the greedy Once-ler, who carelessly destroys the Truffula forest, and the little Lorax, who single-handedly speaks for the trees.
—This text refers to the books and audio cassettes edition of this title.

Summary from Amazon.com Books

When Dr. Seuss gets serious, you know it must be important. Published in 1971, and perhaps inspired by the "save our planet" mindset of the 1960s, The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more—a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed.
The now remorseful Once-ler—our faceless, bodiless narrator—tells the story himself. Long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. ("It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.") As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth (by the seat of his own furry pants), leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS." Thus, with his own colorful version of a compelling morality play, Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But as you might expect from Seuss, all hope is not lost—the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future. (Ages 4 to 8)
—This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title.

See and/or order this title at Amazon.com:

• The Lorax, Hardcover, Ages 4-8, 70 pages, Random House, 1971
• The Lorax, Library Binding, Random Library, 1971
• The Lorax, Classic Seuss Miniature Edition, Hardcover, Ages 4-8, 72 pages, Random House, 1998
• El Lorax, Hardcover, Grades 3-6, Ages 4-8, Lectorum Publications, 1993 (Spanish)
• The Lorax, Book & Audio Cassette Edition, Random House, 1992
• The Lorax, Sing-Along VHS Tape, Twayne Publications, 1994

No longer available (but if you send me an e-mail message, I'll try to find you a used copy):

• The Lorax, Mini Book & Puppet, Hardcover, Ages 4-8, Random House, 1998, ISBN 0679889094