Dr Seuss, The Lorax

Although the cutting down of old-growth forests is a perennial theme, Dr Seuss's The Lorax, published 33 years ago, seems all too prophetic and topical right now. The book was only recently brought to my attention, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Seuss was such a witty and avid 'Greenie'. Here in Tasmania, as in too many other places on this planet, where old growth forests are being clear-felled at an alarming rate, Seuss's rhythmic, rhyming text strikes a precise and poignant note. It provides an excellent educational resource: it is a refreshing way of pointing a just ethical finger at a contemporary wrong, and its causes, without being heavily political and moral about it. I also recommend Rick Mayall's reading of this text, released on the CD, The Dr Seuss Collection, by HarperCollins, 2002.