The Lorax
Price: $750.00
Hard Cover. New York: Random House, 1971. First Edition. Near Fine.
First edition, first printing. Publisher's pictorial paper-covered boards with an illustration of the Lorax standing on a stump to front board; no dust jacket, as issued. Near fine, with light wear to spine ends and corners of boards, some toning to spine and boards, light spotting to rear board, and previous owner's bookplate to front pastedown. Overall, a sturdy copy of this standout Dr. Seuss title. In The Lorax, a boy in a heavily polluted town meets the Once-ler, who tells the boy about a time in the past when the valley was beautiful and filled with Truffula trees. The Once-ler discovered that he could convert Truffula trees into garments called Thneeds and created a booming industry in the area. A short gruff creature called the Lorax warned the Once-ler of the environmental impact of his business, but the Once-ler ignored him, until at last all the trees were gone. At the end of the book, the Once-ler, now remorseful, gives the boy a single Truffula seed. The Lorax is one of Dr. Seuss's most famous works and is recognized as an important contribution to the environmental movement. The story, written at a time of growing environmental awareness (Earth Day was established in 1970) was partially based on the sadness that Geisel felt regarding the destruction of eucalyptus trees in his La Jolla, CA neighborhood. Item #DS022
