Children's Book: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

I meant to post a review on this during Earth Day week, but I simply forgot. Oh well, better late than never! :) 

"Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.

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My Thoughts: This is obviously a classic. Not only is it a traditional rhyming tale that Dr. Seuss is famous for, but it has a powerful message. This is a perfect book to share with children in educating them about the importance of taking care of our planet. Furthermore, children will also have a great time with the visuals and the wacky words that fill the pages.


I like how the theme is represented with the two main characters, the Lorax and the Once-ler. The Lorax "speaks for the trees" and tries to stop the Once-ler from cutting any more trees. The Once-ler, on the other hand, is trying to become a successful business person and to do so, he must cut many of the Trufulla trees. He ends up taking advantage of the natural resource without any thought. The story soon shows what the effects are when too many trees are cut down: pollution and endangerment of the environment.

The theme makes one think about our own world. As a growing society who keeps "advancing", we are definitely hurting our environment. What many don't realize is that if nature suffers, we ultimately suffer as well. This is portrayed with the poor animals in the Trufulla forest who begin to cough with all of the pollution and are soon found homeless. If we are not careful, we soon might find ourselves in the same predicament as these animals.

Though Dr. Seuss sends out a strong message, one cannot help enjoy the story because of its silly rhyming words and colorful illustrations. It's always fun to read how many made-up words are used, how they rhyme, and how they perfectly make sense in the story. Next, the illustrations sure grab the reader's attention. All of the characters and settings in Dr. Seuss' world are distinguishable. They are filled with vibrant colors that one cannot help but admire. Dr. Seuss' wacky rhyming and pictures keeps attracting all sorts of audiences.

Overall, this is a fantastic book to share with others, especially children. It teaches the importance of taking care of our planet and how one should not abuse our natural resources. The book is also filled with wonderful illustrations and playful words. I rate it: