The Lorax

The Lorax is an absolute delight from start to finish! I love this movie; it is a delightful, and colorful burst of imagination that motivated me to do more for environmental love and a severe case of Truffula tree envy.

The animation is beautiful and vibrant, and The Land of Thneedville is a kaleidoscope of colors. The characters are so animated and full of personality that you’ll want to hug a hummingfish for good measure.

The protagonist is Ted Wiggins, who is voiced by Zac Efron. Ted is a boy who lives in the artificial and polluted town of Thneedville. His crush on Audrey drives him to embark on a quest to find a real tree to impress her. He stumbles upon the Once-ler, the critical character who holds the secrets of the Truffula trees and the Lorax.

The Lorax, voiced by Danny DeVito, brings this bushy-mustached guardian of the forest to life in a heartwarming and hilarious way. You’ll always remember his one-liners, and trust me, you’ll never look at a tree the same way again.

The story is more than just a quest for the last Truffula seed; it’s a powerful message; the movie gently nudges you to think about environmental issues without preaching, and by the end, you’ll be singing “Let It Grow” at the top of your lungs like an eco-warrior.

The supporting cast is equally funny and fantastic– Taylor Swift as Audrey, the protagonist’s crush, Swift adds a dash of girl power. The Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms) is also charmingly clueless about the consequences of his actions, and you almost forgive him for the deforestation.

And let’s remember the musical numbers! From “How Bad Can I Be?” to the infectious “Let It Grow,” the soundtrack is toe-tappingly catchy, and you can’t help but dance like a Swomee-Swan in no time. The whole track is so dance-worthy.

So, if you think this movie is only for kids, think again, “The Lorax” is a must-see for tree-huggers and Thneed enthusiasts, including older kids and adults alike. It’s an infectious celebration of nature, a cautionary tale about corporate greed, and all the fun rolled into one Truffula-tastic ball. Make it a movie night and grab your family, friends, and maybe even a Lorax-fun-approved snack and judge for yourself. For me, this movie was a cinematic experience as fun and sweet as a Bar-ba-loot’s marshmallow fluff!

Have a sweet Barbaloot experience!
Bella H.

Authors We Love: Dr. Seuss

Going into my first years of school, I was always skeptical of reading. I mainly enjoyed playing with video games or even toys when I was a young child, but I never really found books interesting. I would often find myself wanting to do something else, which distracted me from developing an interesting in reading or even learning how to read. However, my parents introduced me to Dr. Seuss, and his books ended up creating that interest that I greatly needed growing up.

Known for his books such as The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Dr. Seuss mainly wrote children’s books with illustrations meant to grab the young reader’s attention. Since many people in their younger ages – including me – found plain text in books boring to look at and read for as long as a given book could last for. The fact that Dr. Seuss made reading interesting with the illustrations created interest and motivation to read that was not found prior to that. Without Dr. Seuss, many would probably have no interest in reading books and would struggle in finishing many school assignments that involves heavy reading and analysis of the text.

With Dr. Seuss, I found reading to be fun and looked forward to every story that he had to tell about some of the characters. Even though I have not read Dr. Seuss in a while, I vividly remember the joy I found in hearing my parents read the stories to me before I went to bed. The joy he brought with his books made me interested in reading and even though many of us feel like we are too old to read it anymore – I know I certainly feel that way at times -, I also feel that sometimes it is important to look back and remember some things that made up our childhood and how it made us who we are today.

Several titles by Dr. Seuss are available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.