"Unless..."

With bright illustrations on every page and a lulling lyric that lures us into the story, The Lorax is a masterpiece with a mission. The beginning is dark and gloomy, and one is inclined to shudder just reading the words: "On the far end of town where the grickle-grass grows and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows and no birds ever sing excepting old crows...". Contrast this with the sunny description of the land before the Once-ler came to develop it: "Back in the days when the grass was still green and the water was wet and the air was still clean and the song of the Swamee-swans sang out in space...One morning I came to this glorious place."

The Once-ler, an ancient hermit who lives in the top of a crumbling factory, relates the tale of his days of youthful ambition. When he saw the beautiful multi-colored, soft-tufted Truffula trees, he knew he had to stop and make something of them. The Lorax, a strange little old creature who spoke "for the trees," confronted the Once-ler angrily when he began chopping the trees down, but the Once-ler insisted he was doing to harm. His business continued to grow and grow, and the Lorax made more unwanted visits. He was forced to send the Humming Fish, the Swamee-swans, and the Brown Barbaloots away from their home in the forest because the factory had polluted the air and water and there was no Truffula fruit for the Barbaloots to eat.

Then, one day, the last Truffula tree was chopped down. All that was left was an empty factory in the middle of a stump-filled wasteland. The Lorax sadly stood on the stump and lifted himself into the air and out of sight, leaving the word "unless" carved into the stump. And so the Once-ler finishes the tale and gives his listener "the very last Truffula seed of them all," saying, "Unless someone cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not."

With typical Seussian warmth and wit, this classic encourages children to care for the Earth, for it is in their hands. It is a very important lesson, and who better to teach it than the good Doctor?