Speak for the Trees

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! In honor of this special day, I am posting about my favorite Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax. My children love this book, and I love reading it to them. It's one of those wonderfully special books that engages a child with rhythm and imagery while at the same time engages the adult with depth and meaning. The best part is that the child comes to understand and appreciate the meaning too.

And what a great message it is! The gist of the story is that a greedy business man cuts down all the truffula trees to make Thneeds. A Thneed is a fine something that all people need (it might actually be a Snuggie). Not to give away too much, but the Lorax tries to speak for the trees and no one listens. In the end, we learn that UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not.

I'd say The Lorax is healthy, green and frugal! Obviously, there is a strong environmental message. I also love the concept of a Thneed, which pokes fun at the need-creation/need-fulfillment cycle we have going in our society. It's also a great way to get your children to eat truffula fruits (aka mangoes, or whatever fruit you choose).

Click HERE to visit The Lorax website, which has fun games and information for kids.

You can get the book for around $10 right now on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel, with free shipping on orders that are $25 or more. There's also a cute animated version on DVD. It's got a funky 70's flair to it. I've seen in at Target for only $5.