Lorax, The

Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" is the classic TV special that tells the tale of how an enterprising but greedy villain named the Once-ler, strips a forest of its lush Truffula trees, bringing them to near extinction for the sake of profit. The story begins with the Once-ler, a faceless businessman who lives alone in a sad, gray wasteland. He recounts how he first became obsessed with the Truffula trees' potential to make him rich and how the Lorax, an endearing and wise little forest creature, tried to warn him that his greed was making him crazy. It's the Lorax's job to "speak for the trees," the wondrous Truffulas, that make up the beautiful forest in which various wildlife live, including Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swamee-Swans, the Humming-Fish, and the Lorax himself. (Tricia Spears)