infonews.co.nz
INDEX
BOOKS

Colourful foliage

Thursday 26 April 2012, 12:25PM

By Hutt City Council

367 views

Colorful foliage
Colorful foliage Credit: Hutt City Council

Children work on their “truffula trees” at Naenae library as part of the council’s holiday reading programme inspired by The Lorax, a book by American writer-illustrator Dr Seuss.

Librarians Pamela Walker and Sarah Jordan, who helped put finishing touches to the truffula trees, said they were amazed at the turnout. About 30 children took part in the event, which included a reading of The Lorax. To make the trunk and base for the trees, Pamela collected together some disused paint pails and cardboard spools from rolls of newsprint. Dr Seuss-inspired games, craft-making and story-telling were held at council libraries between April 10 and 20.

For those adults unfamiliar with the book, truffula trees (which bear a striking resemblance to our native cabbage trees) are threatened by the greedy Once-ler, who chops them all down and turns them into Thneeds – which he thinks everyone needs. The book is regarded as a warning about the dangers posed to the environment by corporate greed.