The Lorax
In 1989, parents in Northern California asked their children’s school to take The Lorax by Dr. Seuss off the required reading list for second graders. They didn’t like that the plot of the story criticized deforestation. Some of the children who read the book in their classrooms had family members who worked in the logging industry, and the story had supposedly made them question their parents’ lumber jobs.
This illustrated book is about fantastical floofy trees that are used to produce clothing called “Thneeds.” The Once-ler (some dude) chops down these trees to knit the multi-function garments, and is confronted by the Lorax, a creature who tries to defend nature before the last trees are cut down. Parents were so upset by that plot that they funded a book parody called The Truax, which emphasized the importance of the logging industry.
