Observations placeholder

The Lorax

The Lorax is a prophetic children's book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the Once-ler. As in most Dr. Seuss works, most of the creatures mentioned are original to the book.

The Lorax was Dr. Seuss' personal favourite of his books. He was able to create a story addressing economic and environmental issues and it is remarkably relevant today, given the rate of extinction of species as a result of man’s activity, the unsustainability of his activities and the ridiculous and constant harping on about ‘growth’. 

"The Lorax," he once explained, "came out of me being angry. In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might."

One wishes the chips had fallen a bit harder as his prophecy has come true, and now there is no going back.

Below is an edited transcript from Reading Rockets' interview with Audrey Geisel.

Well, I was a sounding board, and I think a very intuitive, important sounding board. And I also became the colorist as we went further and further into colour charts – that sort of thing. And I was a confidant, of course. And I was the very loving caregiver. Keep the systems going. Maintenance.

Ted had worked with primary colors: yellow, red, black. With the Lorax and the story of The Lorax, it was absolutely imperative [to include the] various shades of lavender, mauve, grey – all those shades that are really quite complicated. I think there were times that Random House felt, "What is happening here? We have to have a complete scale of colours." And I was putting out the colours.

But you had to [use vibrant colours], because the Barbaloots were leaving through this "smogulous fog." You're not gonna pick red, white on that, you know.

So, I came in at that time, and every book from there on in became far more colour-conscious – subtle colour-conscious.