 | |
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Dr. Seuss |
| Language | English |
| Series | 1 |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | August 12, 1971 (renewed 1999)[1] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 64 |
| ISBN | 0-394-82337-0 |
| OCLC | 183127 |
| [E] | |
| LC Class | PZ8.3.G276 Lo |
| Preceded by | Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? |
| Followed by | Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! |
The Lorax is achildren's book written byDr. Seuss and published in 1971.[2] It chronicles the plight of theenvironment and the Lorax, the main character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, abusiness magnate who causes environmental destruction.
The story is commonly recognized as afable concerning the danger ofcapitalism and humanity's greed causing destruction of the natural environment, using theliterary element ofpersonification to create relatable characters forindustry (the Once-ler), theenvironment (the Truffula trees) andenvironmental activism (the Lorax). The story encourages activism and involvement in making the situation better: a concluding quote from the Once-ler states, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not". The Lorax exemplifies Dr. Seuss's views onclimate change andpollution, teaching children about the importance of doing their part to protect the environment (in this case, Truffula trees).
Dr. Seuss singled outThe Lorax as his personal favorite of his books – in it, he managed to create an engaging story highlighting howeconomic growth is often prioritised overenvironmental issues. Dr. Seuss stated: "The Lorax came out of me being angry. The ecology books I'd read were dull...InThe Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might".[3]
A boy discovers a polluted land and wanders down the Street of the Lifted Lorax where he meets a mysterious green creature known as the Once-ler. The boy pays the Once-ler "fifteen cents, a nail, and the shell of a great-great-great-grandfather snail", then uses a "whisper-ma-phone" to hear the tale of how the Lorax was lifted away.
Many years prior, the Once-ler arrived in a beautiful valley teeming with Truffula Trees and a variety of wildlife (Brown Barbaloots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fish). Having long searched for a tree like the Truffula, he chopped one down and used its foliage to create a highly versatile garment known as a Thneed. A creature known as the Lorax emerged from the tree's stump and voiced his disapproval of the Once-ler's actions. Ignoring the Lorax, the Once-ler sold his Thneed for $3.98 and using a radiophone enlisted the help of his relatives to expand his business.
The Once-ler's shop grew into a large industrial complex, and new machines were built to log the Truffula forest and distribute Thneeds. Over time, the valley was ravaged with pollution, and the Lorax sent the native animals away to find safer habitats. The Once-ler vowed to continue "biggering" his operations until one of his machines felled the last Truffula tree, rendering the factory inoperable. The Lorax vanished into the sky, leaving behind a pile of rocks with the word "UNLESS". Left alone in his crumbling residence, the remorseful Once-ler spent years wondering what the Lorax meant.
After finishing his story, the Once-ler finally grasps the Lorax's message: "UNLESS someone like you cares, a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." He gives the boy the last Truffula seed and urges him to cultivate a new forest, hoping that the Lorax and the animals will return.
It is believed that aMonterey cypress inLa Jolla, California was the inspiration forThe Lorax. In June 2019, the tree was reported to have fallen.[4] Another likely inspiration was the relationship between thepatas monkey and thewhistling thornacacia.[5][6][7]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Panel discussion on "Business and Society inThe Lorax", New York Law School, March 1, 2013,C-SPAN |
Based on a 2007 online poll, theNational Education Association listedThe Lorax as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".[8] In 2012 it was ranked number 33 among the "Top 100 Picture Books" in a survey published bySchool Library Journal – the second of five Dr. Seuss books on the list.[2]
In a retrospective critique written in the journal inspired by Jerald L,Nature in 2011 upon the 40th anniversary of the book's publication,Emma Marris described the Lorax character as a "parody of a misanthropic ecologist". She called the book "gloomy" and expressed skepticism that its message would resonate with small children in the manner intended. Nevertheless, she praised the book as effective in conveying the consequences of ecological destruction in a way that young children will understand.[9]
In 2012, Travis Scholl evaluated the book in a positive manner and noted the similarities between the Lorax andBiblical prophets. He attributed the similarities to Geisel'sLutheranism.[10]
In 1988, a school district in California kept the book on a reading list for second-graders, though some in the town claimed the book was unfair to thelogging industry.[11][12]
In the mid-1990s, Terri Birkett, a member of a family-owned hardwood flooring factory, authoredTruax, a 20-page booklet illustrated by Orrin Lundren and published by the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers' Association (NOFMA).[13]Truax offers a logging-friendly perspective; likeThe Lorax, it consists of a conflict between two people: a logging industry representative who promotes efficiency and re-seeding efforts; and the Guardbark, ananthropomorphic tree who personifies theenvironmentalist movement. InTruax, the Guardbark behaves like the Onceler, refusing to listen and lashing out; but in the end, he is convinced by the logger's arguments.Truax was criticized for what were viewed as skewed arguments and clear self-interest, particularly a "casual attitude toward endangered species" that answered the Guardbark's concern for them. The book's approach as a more blatant argument instead of one worked into a storyline was also noted.[14][15][16]
The line, "I hear things are just asbad up in Lake Erie," was removed more than fourteen years after the story was published after two research associates from the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss about the clean-up of Lake Erie.[17] The line remains in the home video releases of the television special, in the audiobook read byRik Mayall, and in the UK edition published by HarperCollins Children's Books.[citation needed]
Members of the tree genusDracophyllum have become colloquially known as Dr Seuss trees, due to their similar appearance to truffula trees from the book.[18]
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The book was adapted as an animated musical television special produced byDePatie-Freleng Enterprises, directed byHawley Pratt and starring the voices ofEddie Albert andBob Holt. It was first aired byCBS on February 14, 1972. A reference to pollution ofLake Erie was spoken by one of the Humming-Fish as they depart; it remains in DVD releases of the show, although later removed from the book. The special also shows the Once-ler arguing with himself, and asking the Lorax whether shutting down his factory (thus putting hundreds of people out of work) is practical. An abridged version of the special is used in the 1994 TV movieIn Search of Dr. Seuss, withKathy Najimy's reporter character hearing the Once-ler's story.
Universal Pictures andIllumination Entertainment released a3DCGI film based upon the book.The Lorax was released on March 2, 2012; the release coincided with the 108th birthday of Seuss, who died at the age of 87 in 1991. The cast includesDanny DeVito as the Lorax,Zac Efron as Ted (the boy in the book), andEd Helms as the Once-ler. The film includes several new characters:Rob Riggle as villain Aloysius O'Hare,Betty White as Ted's Grammy Norma,Jenny Slate as Ted's neurotic mother Mrs. Wiggins, andTaylor Swift as Audrey, Ted's romantic interest. In addition, the film is given an extended ending where the tree is replanted and the Once-ler reunites with the Lorax. The film debuted in the No. 1 spot at the box office, making $70 million, though it received mixed reviews. The film eventually grossed a domestic total of $214,030,500.[19]Danny DeVito did his role in five different languages, including the original English audio, and also for theRussian,German,Italian, Catalan/Valencian, Castillan Spanish and Latin Spanish dub editions, learning his lines phonetically.[citation needed]
Two audio readings have been released on CD, one narrated byTed Danson in the United States (Listening Library,ISBN 978-0-8072-1873-0) and the other narrated byRik Mayall in the United Kingdom (HarperCollins,ISBN 978-0-00-715705-1).
A musical adaptation ofThe Lorax was originally included in the script for the Broadway musicalSeussical, but was cut before the show opened.[20]
From December 2, 2015, to January 16, 2016, a musical version of the book ran at theOld Vic theatre in London, with formerNoah and the Whale frontmanCharlie Fink, who also wrote the music for the production.[21]
From July 2 to August 12, 2018, the musical ran at theOld Globe Theatre San Diego, California with Steven Epp as The Once-ler. The role of the hero to be trusted with the last seed, a boy in the original book, was filled by a girl in the musical.[22]
According to Terri Birkett, a popular Dr. Seuss character is being used to teach children to hate the wood products industry.