The Lorax,
by Dr Seuss has been republished by Harper Collins Children’s Books, to
coincide with the release of the film adaptation, starring Zac Efron.Although I had previously heard of The Lorax,
I knew Seuss better for his classic The Cat In The Hat, which was also made
into a film in 2003.
First
published in 1971, the book is written in Seuss’ unique rhyming style with lots
of invented words.The story is a fable
about the dangers of destroying our forests and I think it gives out a strong
message about saving our environment.Children will find the book entertaining but will also learn about the
importance of conservation.
The
Once-ler is a greedy creature who finds a beautiful land full of truffula
trees.He uses one of these trees to
make a thneed, which doesn’t have one particular use but he believes “everyone
needs a thneed”.The Once-ler soon
becomes greedy and chops down all the trees, causing all the wildlife to flee
and he is left there alone in a polluted place with a factory which he no
longer has a use for.The Lorax warned
the Once-ler this would happen but the Once-ler ignored his message.The story ends in an optimistic way, with the
Once-ler realising The Lorax has given him the last remaining Truffula seed.
The new
paperback version also includes a CD of the story read by Rik Mayall, who I
think has the perfect voice for this style of writing.Harper Collins will also be releasing The
Lorax sticker and doodling books to tie in with the film later this year.
