The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The The Lorax is the original children's book on the need for conservation, originally published in 1971. Dr. Seuss cleverly used rhymes and silly words to warn several generations of the consequences of overusing natural resources. The truffula trees are rapidly cut down to be used in the manufacturing of thneeds, causing creatures, such as the brown bearbaloots and swamee swams, to flee from the habitat loss and pollution caused by the thneed factory. At the end of the tale, readers are left with a glimmer of hope, when one truffula tree seed is given to a boy. "Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care. Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air. Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack. Then the Lorax and all of his friends may come back." You can read more about the Lorax in "Green Family Values: Who Speaks for the Trees?"