IN RETROSPECT The Lorax

摘要

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr Seuss, wrote more than 40 children's books, beloved for their zany rhymes and sinuous illustrations. In August 1971 - the year after the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and celebration of the first Earth Day - Seuss published a book that became a kind of Silent Spring for the playground set. Thousands of children have learned about environmental destruction from the The Lorax, Seuss's tale of ecological ruin brought on by greed. The book still resonates: Universal Studios is due to release a feature-length animation of it next year. It packs in a lot of sophisticated concepts for a picture book, from the interconnectedness of ecosystems to the effects of industrial pollutants on freshwater systems. There is even a trophic cascade - a shift in top predators that triggers changes through a food chain. And what initially seems like a simplistic take on environmental policy - industry bad, activists good - turns out to be more subtle. The hero does not save the day; that task falls to the next generation. This downbeat, if realistic, plot arc makes me hesitant about introducing the book to my young daughter.