On March 3, 2012, Dr. Seuss’s famed book The Lorax will come to the big screen. The trailer, released a couple weeks ago, gives a glimpse into the expanded adaptation. The film version of The Lorax follows Ted, a young boy on a mission to find a living tree for the girl he likes. It is a journey that leads him to the Once-ler (and some trouble with Thneedville’s villainous owner). The trailer opens up Thneedville to show residents pumping plastic bushes and driving large one-wheeled SUVs, not to mention the barren treeless landscape outside the town’s walls.
The film does not seem to negate any of The Lorax’s original themes on environmentalism, which means it could be a great film to introduce the concept to children. The book is already accompanied by lesson plans and class projects in environmentalism, so maybe the film will be another component in teaching kids about caring for Earth. The trailer does not give us any clue about the film’s science (such as how trees convert carbon dioxide in oxygen) but maybe The Lorax will have a few science nuggets for kids as well.
