In the book, The Lorax, Dr. Seuss reveals the importance of keeping the earth clean and respecting what mother nature has to offer. Dr. Seuss is thought of as one of the greatest children's authors of all time. His childhood greatly influenced his works. He had a way of creating delightfully original creatures and whimsical rhymes which enchant anyone who comes across one of his books. Whether an adult or a child, people find that Dr. Suess' books are meant for people of all ages to enjoy. Theodore Seuss Geisel, known to the rest of the world as Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His parents were Theodore Robert Geisel and Henrietta (Seuss) GeiselTed Geisel was fortunate enough to grow with a very loving family. He and his older sister Marnie were extremely close and remained lifelong friends. He had a younger sister as well, but little Henrietta died of pneumonia when she was less than two years old. Geisel's mother was an extremely nurturing person. She indulged all his childhood passions and encouraged him in all his artistic and outlandish pursuits. She was a very loving woman and instilled Ted with very good morals, as well as a positive outlook on life. Ted's father was a very driven man who worked very hard and and instilled in his son the importance of discilpine as well as good work ethics. Both of his parents greatly influenced the man Ted Geisel became and made way for his successful future that lied ahead. Ted's mother quickly learned that he responded to rhyme and repetition. He turned everything into rhyme, even the hymns in the hymnbook at church. Well aware of this, his mother gave him free rein and even allowed him to write on walls. He remembered her always telling him, "Everything you do is great, just go ahead and do it!" The Geisels raised their children to be very proud of their German heritage. They fluently spoke German amongst each other around the house. Due to Worlds War One, however, he was made to feel ashamed of his background. These feelings of rejection contributed to the creation of different, excluded, and persecuted characters. While in high school, Geisel drew cartoons for the school paper. Many teachers were very critical and unsupportive. He took an art class and the teacher informed him he was far from an artist. "I only went on to prove her wrong!", he once remarked. He also proudly stated, "My style of drawing animals derives from the fact I don't know how to draw..." Many events influenced Ted Geisel's works. Some of which were school publications such as the school newspaper. While attending Dartmouth, he worked for the humor magazine, the "Jack-o'-Lantern". Also, he said the zoo was great inspiration as well. He went practically every week and watched the animals in fascination of their diversity. Dr. Seuss books were originally considered too strange to appeal to children. His first book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected by twenty-eight publishers before being accepted by Random House. It was one of the company's best decisions. Former Random House President, Bennett Cerf, once stated, "I've published any number of writers, from Willaim Faulkner to John O'Hara, but there's only one genuis on my authors list. His name is Ted Geisel." In May of 1954, "Life" published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said that children were having trouble reading because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher and prompted him to send him a list of 400 words he felt were important. Geisel was asked to cut the list to 250 and write a book. Nine moths later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him, made up the book. The book was called, The Cat in the Hat. It went on to be an instant success. In addition to becoming the world's most loved children's writer, Ted Geisel also worked as a political cartoonist, an advertising illustrator, and a documentary filmmaker. Two of his documentaries, "Hitler Lives" and "Design for Death", both won Oscars. He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing, which won an Oscar as well. Surprisingly, one of Geisel's most profound works was the children's story, The Lorax. The story begins with the greedy, now remorseful, Once-ler telling the story himself: Long ago, a villain embarks upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bor-ba-loots, and Humming-Fishes. Enchanted by he beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, the Once-ler greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market thneeds. As the trees swiftly disappear and the Deniyens leave for greener lands, the fuzzy, yellow Lorax, who speaks for the trees, warns the Once-ler. Finally, the Lorax sets himself free from the scorched earth. The only thing left is a rock engraved "UNLESS". But as you may expect, all hope is not lost. The Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child whom becomes the last chance for a clean, green future. A critic of the story truthfully remarked. "When Dr. Seuss gets serious, you know it must be important." The Lorax reflects the "save our planet" mindset of the 1960's. He also said that it contains an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear- cutting, pollution, and disregarded for the earth's environment. It is also agreeable when he states that the story contains a powerful message for all. Dr. Seuss is not always taken seriously due to his rhyming and and child-like quality. His books may come across as having no purpose because of the qualities he has become associated with. The Lorax, however, has a serious theme in which it teaches readers to not fool with Mother Nature. It makes us aware of the harm we are causing the earth and the consequences in which we will have to face if we continue. When asked about writing The Lorax, Dr. Seuss answered, "The Lorax was a real son of a gun! I worked almost two years and got nowhere!" He and his wife decided to take a trip to Africa. One day, he saw a herd of elephants coming over a hill and within 45 minutes he finished the book. Geisel was unaware as to why, but they were a real inspiration! Many people see Dr.Seuss as a genuis in the sense that he has a way of relating to both children and adults through the eyes of a child. Issues may be more influencial if presented in an un-realistic way. If we take what we know and apply it to our lives, just as Ted Geisel did, perhaps the world would be a much better and simpler place. Theodore Geisel had the right idea in realizing life doesn't need to be as difficult as we make it. And while we all grow up, it should be known that it's okay to stay a child at heart.