The great Truffula Forest is in danger of going the way of the great rain forests because of a greedy creature that calls himself a Once-ler. Seems that these magnificent trees can be used for making garments that the Once-ler declares are something "everyone needs" and he goes about making lots and lots of them. With the help of his entire family, who he calls in to help, the trees are cut down one after another. The Lorax is an interesting character that emerged from the stump of the first tree the Once-ler cut down and begs him to leave the trees alone. But greed spurs on the garment maker who only sees the forest and not the trees as individuals. factory and big business are what it's all about and the Truffula trees are being chopped down rapidly. Soon the Bar-ba-loots, who are forest inhabitants who see the Truffula trees as a source of food, are faced with a food shortage and suffering grave diseases. The Lorax sends them away to find some other source of food and begs the Once-ler to quit cutting down the Truffula trees. As told by the reader (a young boy) it's a message about greed and how it affects each of us in different ways.