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Oct 17, 2009

Ceridwen rated it:

This may be my favorite children's book of all time. I know there's a lot of grousing and bitching about the ecological message, and that's fine, you're welcome to it, but that's not why I love this book. Back when the the world was young and dewy, when my soul was uncorrupted and my fervency unqualified, I took a lot of classes on the subject of prosody, which is the boring technical end of poetry. One of the arguments a person of this background can have, her beret at a jaunty angle, her eyes More...

49 comments like (32 people liked it)

Jan 02, 2011

Petra X rated it:

Maybe I'm just not a Dr. Seuss person but I hated this book. Boring story, stupid words that didn't entertain and even though it was meant for a child rather than me, my son hardly ever looked at it growing up, so its sits on the shelf still quite pristine.

Funny thing is that this is only a comment on a kiddies' book - yet it has engendered so much nastiness from several people all of whom appear to be alteregos of Michael. He has made it his business to take people (not me alone) More...

33 comments like (13 people liked it)

Apr 12, 2010

Abigail rated it:

The work of Dr. Seuss has been such a formative influence in my reading life, playing such an important role, not just in my childhood reading, but in the process whereby I learned to read in the first place, that I find it very difficult to subject it to analysis. I must have read every single one of his picture-books countless times as a child (with the notable exception of Seven Lady Godivas: The True Facts Concerning History's Barest Family, which I only discovered as an adult), but although More...

7 comments like (11 people liked it)

Apr 06, 2010

Skylar rated it:

This gets five stars for being beautifully written, and one for being heavy handed, which averages out to four for me. I'm a conservationist, but there is no nuance in The Lorax's presentation of environmentalism: the book simply demonizes business.

The Once-ler is an extreme negative caricature of the capitalist: what he offers society as an entrepreneur is not valuable in any way, he has no regard for anything but his own profit, and he proceeds with reckless abandon. Of course, in More...

6 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 20, 2008

Joshua rated it:

This book indoctrinates children into an environmentalist, anti-industrial economic world view. This is wrong. I'd much prefer the book to have the message of careful conservation and sustainable industry, not that all industry is bad. (I know it doesn't say that particularly, but it implies it.)

Better balance this with stories of how good industrialism can be, and how much more important people are than trufula trees.

7 comments like (4 people liked it)

Oct 27, 2007

Andrea rated it:

So, I understand that this book was written a long time ago, before this kind of environmental fairy tale was popularized, and perhaps when it was needed more. But it still seems like a total straw man (hello? can't you just plant your own grove of sustainable truffula trees?). And does the Lorax have to be such a jerk about everything? Maybe he could propose some sort of compromise . . . I guess as a kids' book it's supposed to be simple for kids to understand, but kids aren't that dumb. I More...

7 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 18, 2008

Tim rated it:

You can have your Silent Spring and Inconvenient Truth. The Lorax and his lesson of unless is, to me, the most moving piece of environmental literature ever. It shows that a) good children's literature doesn't have to be simplistic or happy to be effective and b) that you certainly need not be a member of a political group to appreciate the message that our drive to industrialize must not happen at the expense of our planet.

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 27, 2009

Taylor added it

never polute, RIGHT ON

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 11, 2010

Ronyell rated it:

“The Lorax” is one of Dr. Seuss’ most memorable books as it is about the importance of taking care of all of the trees in the world. “The Lorax” may have some controversial issues, but it is still a great book for both children and adults to treasure for many years.

Dr. Seuss’ story about how chopping down too many trees can destroy the Earth’s environment is truly powerful and moving as it realistically portrays what can happen to the environment when trees are cut down through Dr. More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2008

Rachel T. rated it:

The book that I read was "The Lorax" by Dr. Suess.This book is very inspiring to people of all agaes to start caring about the environment, and stop caring about themselves. The main characters in this book would have to be the Lorax and the Onceler. The Onceler is a man looking for meaning in life, or to start a business. He sees this beautiful land and decides he will use the lands resources to start a business....well lets just see what the Lorax thinks of this!
When th More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Sep 16, 2011

Robert rated it:

Ok, so it's a heavy-handed enviromental terror-tale. It's also the Seuss book that stuck with me the longest. Of all the books I read as a little kid, it's the one that I still remember making me feel something.

I'm a conservationist-not an environmentalist by any stretch. The Lorax didn't teach me to hate industry or chew on organically-sustainable bark. It taught me to care about nature. To this day, decades after I read and re-read it, the drawing of the barren wasteland still gets More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 21, 2007

Rebekah rated it:

One of my favorite books of all times. A couple years ago they were clearcutting a long stretch of road in the town I grew up in. My dad and I got up in arms and decided we would go underground as the Lorax. We made up signs and attached them to scrap wood and went out in the wee hours of the morning to post them around stumps and tree-chewing machinery. The signs showed a picture of the lorax and said "I speak for the trees." I heard some people talking about it, but it didn't do More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 12, 2009

Shealyn rated it:

it is a awesome book and my friend and i are making part 2 of the Lorax .

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 29, 2009

Tom rated it:

AWESOME!!!!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 06, 2011

Brittany rated it:

Because this is a Dr. Seuss book, it has some very distinct characteristics in its illustrations and text. The front cover and inside illustrations are filled with the creative make believe illustrations of Dr. Seuss’s mind. They look like they were created by using a thin Sharpe marker and then digitally colored in. Inside, some illustrations are full page ones with no text on the side with the picture. On other pages there is an image on both pages on the spread with text surrounding the illus More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Alexa rated it:

The Lorax is a classic story by Dr. Seuss that teaches kids about enjoying the beauty of life and that doing things the easy way isn't always the best way.It also tells them that even just one person can make a difference. I would recommend it for a teacher with kids of either nursery or primary age; However,The Lorax is a great story for people of all ages. I recommend this book because it sends a great message to kids and teaches them that they do matter. Dr. Seuss uses vibrant colors as well More...

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Sep 07, 2011

Aliya rated it:

As a child I only read a couple of Dr Seuss’ books and ‘The Lorax’ was not one of them. However, looking through the library shelves I spotted this book and it stuck out because of the bright and bold colours, straight away grabbing my attention. Let’s face it, although everyone says “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, we still do, it is the first thing we do, and the front cover of ‘The Lorax’ was eye- catching and alluring.
It is about, as you can guess.. a Lorax.. a sort of creature rese More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 07, 2009

Ashlee rated it:

Most children's books have a meaning, a moral if you will. It would seem as though 'The Lorax' had a meaning and message for the future generations, a warning even. My third grade teacher read us this story, and asked us what we thought, many were able to see the connections between our world and the world of the Lorax, where slowly piece by piece the world was destroyed by people with only money on the brain.

I was later read this book during High School, which would seem a strange t More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 02, 2009

Gordon rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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May 02, 2009

Halle rated it:

The Lorax is about this pretty world that became a disgusting world. The Onceler destroyed the world and at the end, the Onceler felt bad.

This boy said, "what was the Lorax about?" He asked the Onceler. He had to pay 15 cents and a very old grandfather snail. Then the Onceler told the story of the Lorax, but not very clearly.

So a long time ago, the Onceler came to this wonderful place. He saw the hummingfish, and the swomee swans, but then he saw the truffalo More...

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Feb 18, 2008

KatieSuzanne rated it:

Sure this is a kid book, but it's by far one of my favorites. Of all the environmental books, or speeches, or movies I've ever seen I still think this one is the best. It's simple and to the point. The reasons why we need to pay more attention to our environment really doesn't get any more complicated than this. I read this as a kid and I really understood it and maybe that's why as an adult I want to be a little greener in whatever I do. I think everyone should read it to their kids.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 27, 2011

Carl rated it:

So... This book was written ages ago... I mean like 40 years ago... It is a classic... Yadda yadda yadda yeah yeah I know there are nay-sayers out there that will say this book is indoctrinating children into environmentalism .... And... SO what!! Really clear cutting is good... Please unless you happen to own stock in a lumber company no one wants that... Ok... Hoping off by soapbox.... Back to my review... I looooved this book! It teaches kids more than just to care about the environment... It More...

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Jun 12, 2008

Hollie rated it:

Dr. Seuss was brilliant when he wrote this book. It is a wonderful way to introduce environmentalism to children of all ages and even adults. This is one of my favorite books because the writing is very amazing and clever. I think that this is a good model for students to use in their own personal writings when addressing social issues. The Lorax is very informative and gets the point across without being in-your-face "preachy."

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 02, 2011

Kari rated it:

The story of exhausting resources with results of desolation and despair is nothing new. In this story, the Once-ler hides himself away in a tall house where dreariness abounds so he can ponder the error of his ways. When a young boy passes by, the Once-ler shares his story of how he destroyed the entire forest of Truffula Trees when he discovered that they provided him with resources for a new product. As the forest begins to disappear, a creature called the Lorax shows up to scold the Once-ler More...

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Jul 09, 2011

Lucille rated it:

In my mind this is not only essential childhood reading, but adults should make a point of revisiting it from time to time in order to remember a stage in life when they truly CARED about the planet.

The Lorax is a brilliant character, defending the defenseless trees and animals against the inevitable onslaught of industrialism. It is an early lesson in grassroots politics and standing up for what you believe in, even when your enemy is obdurately greedy. Though the endin More...

0 comments like

Mar 11, 2009

Alecia rated it:

Author: Dr. Seuss

Illustrator: Dr. Seuss

Genre: fiction

Publication Info: Random House (1971)

Reading Level: Ages 4-8; fluent

Topic/Theme: greed, environmental hazards, "save our planet"

Issues Addressed: addresses the greed of people who take the environment for granted and take as much as they need without stopping to think about wrecking their surroundings

Social Issues: impact of factories on the envir More...

0 comments like

Sep 08, 2007

Roisin rated it:

This book is strange but what Dr. seuss book isn't. I remember if I couldn't get to sleep I would read it to pass the time and would try and work out what was happening, but would also enjoy reading it and I think I learnt from it. Mostly not to cut down trees!

Also the illustrations are brilliant and the characters looks are amazing!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 01, 2009

Jack Kirby and the X-man rated it:

This book is certainly blatant propaganda for environmentalism.

But is it wrong?

Simple messages are picked up by children more easily, and environmentalism is a key message we need to teach our kids. This book is also a book of its time - in the early 1970s the green movement was still very black and white.

But reading it I can't stop thinking about the irony of his anti-big-business message. Here is a man, like the Once-ler who started with an idea (Begi More...

0 comments like

Mar 23, 2010

Jack rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 27, 2010

Bryan rated it:

Maybe it is because I promote sustainablity that this books really speaks to me and I feel that everyone should read it, no mater how old they are. Some people say that he talks down to and discourages all industry but for those people I recommend reading the book again because that is not at all what I read. In fact I really can't see how you can find that point at all because you can clearly see, even if you are a child, that this is a message about manufactured demand and unsuitability...even More...

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