Dr Seuss Enterprises lands new eco-friendly partners for The Lorax ahead of Earth Day 2021

Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating Earth Day and the 50th anniversary of its popular title, The Lorax, with the launch of a line-up of sustainable brand partnerships that underscore the book’s core message of environmental activism.

Launched to tie in with Earth Day this year, the range will span new eco-friendly products including pet toys, home decor, publishing, and apparel which will kick off with a collection developed by the sustainable apparel brand, Tentree.

The eco-friendly Lorax collection will consist of hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants, and t-shirts for adults and children, while inspired by the book’s activism theme will be the newest MantraBand engraved bracelet featuring the famed Lorax quote, Unless Someone Like You Cares A Whole Awful Lot, which is marked as a reminder to use your voice to make change.

Elsewhere, the story of The Lorax will enjoy new entertainment and publishing deals throughout the year, as – adding to a line-up of anniversary partnerships – Random House Children’s Books readies to roll out a robust publishing programme with new The Lorax books printed on recycled paper.

New to the catalogue this year is The Lorax Deluxe Doodle book, which is out now, followed by The Lorax: 50th Anniversary Edition, Dr. Seuss’s Thank You For Being Green And Speaking For The Trees, Let’s Go to the Garden! With Dr. Seuss’ Lorax,with more to come this Spring.

Additionally, through a partnership with Oceanhouse Media, The Lorax comes to life on iPads and iPhones in the digital book edition with playful interactivity, animations and fun activities.

US book retailer, Barnes & Noble has teamed with One Tree Planted for a special campaign in which every copy of The Lorax related titles sold in stores or online over April will see Dr Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books donate $1 to the cause.

Meanwhile, Dr. Seuss Enterprises is making its mark in an untapped category with BARK, the maker of BarkBox, for a line of sustainable dog toys. Debuting in April for BarkBox subscribers and in Petco stores, pets will be able to play with and chew on Lorax-themed toys, all made with environmentally friendly materials.

As part of its partnership expansion, Aurora, the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of plush toys and gifts, has released a new eco-friendly Lorax plush toy, and Tervis, maker of expressive and sustainable drinkware, has rolled out a Lorax inspired collection of travel tumblers.

The global celebrations continues, meanwhile, as The Lorax hit London in celebration of Earth Day 2021. The Old Vic Theatre is presenting the iconic Dr. Seuss book The Lorax for six live-streamed performances as part of the OLD VIC: IN CAMERA series.  David Greig and Charlie Fink’s Olivier Award-nominated adaptation, directed by the award-winning director Max Webster,  is transformed into a semi-staged pint-size version to keep young (and older) minds entertained.

Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said:The Lorax has always been a beloved Dr. Seuss story and introduces children to why we need to protect our planet through a beautiful story. We are proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book in 2021 and further encourage our readers to speak out and make change in our world.

“This year we are partnering with a wide range of brands, such as Tentree, BarkBox, and more, to create sustainable products that will continue spreading The Lorax’s message.”

The Lorax, which was first published in 1971, quickly became a cultural phenomenon with an important and hopeful message about our environment. Over the past 50 years, the book has encouraged children to not only speak up for the protection of our trees, but to also use their voice to help make change because “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is  going to get better. It’s not.”