Author: Dr. Suess
While Dr. Suess seemed to publish book after book to wild success, "The Lorax" (published in 1971) was not met with rave reviews. Suess himself prides "The Lorax" as his best, but many critiqued it for its controversial message. "The Lorax" is a tale about a Once-ler who took it upon himself to create a very successful business producing Thneeds from the once plentiful Truffula Tree. As the Once-ler's business grows with each sale, the cautious Lorax begins to warn him that he is is speaking for the trees and begs of the Once-ler to stop. The Once-ler, crazy with greed, does not stop, but manages to grow his business larger and larger until no Truffula Trees exist. Of course this is very detrimental to the environment and the poor creatures relying on the trees are forced to find a new home. While it does take on a very serious message, the Lorax is simply doing his best to teach the Once-ler an important lesson. In the end, the Once-ler has learned and attempts to pass on his wisdom to others.
Though this book has received mixed reviews, I cannot help but love it. Likely I feel this way due to the fact that I am extremely aware of our need to conserve and recycle what we can to ensure that our planet maintains an inhabitable climate. I had not read this story from Dr. Suess until recently and have now determined that it is a story that must be shared and discussed with children of all ages. In fact, I know many adults who need to take about 10 minutes and read this "simple" children's book.
(1) What makes "The Lorax" didactic?
"The Lorax" has an underlying message that allows it to be teachable for moral reasoning. This message is conservation and appreciation for what is on our planet. We live in a society that takes and take and takes, but rarely takes time to appreciate what we have been given. If for one moment, we can help to instill in our children the importance of conservation and the importance of limiting yourself to needs, and not always wants, then we can help make our future just a tad bit brighter. It may sound unrealistic to think that one book can make a difference, but what is truly unrealistic is the fact that we expect our children to make the right decisions for our planet without taking time to teach them these ways of thinking.
(2) Are there any didactic children's books today? If not, why not?
There are of course didactic children's books being published today, however they are far and few between. Morality is something that writers seem to be straying away from as a topic in a very politically correct society. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein teaches a parallel lesson to that of "The Lorax." In "The Giving Tree" a young boy develops a bond with a tree, but as the boy ages, he requires more and more of the tree to show that the relationship remains. In the end, the boy has taken so much from the tree that the tree is simply a stump in the ground. Teachers need to be talking about our environment and the importance of preserving it, because with each passing year, there becomes less and less to preserve.
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