The Lorax Is Missing: Statue Stolen from Geisel's La Jolla Home

A small statue of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, was stolen from the property of Audrey Geisel, wife of the late Theodore Geisel over the weekend.

According to the U-T San Diego, property manager Carl Romero said he and Geisel noticed the loss on Monday morning.

“It’s a valuable piece because there are only two of them, and it’s an iconic figure,” Romero told the U-T San Diego.

Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, daughter of Audrey Geisel, created the two statues: one for the family and another for the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in Massachusetts.

The statue was reportedly on a wooden base with the inscription “Unless.” This is the same word used at the end of The Lorax, first published in 1971.

Romero told the paper that he last saw the statue on Saturday afternoon. He suspects the 300-pound statue was dragged from the property to an access road and lifted it over a fence. The property is located near the .

A police report was filed with the San Diego Police Department and Romero said, “If you return it, we won’t press charges.”

The Lorax book was recently adapted into an animated feature film featuring Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, and Danny DeVito. The film was released March 2, on what would have been Dr. Seuss’ 108th birthday.

The legacy of Dr. Seuss carries on in his many books and films. His name also lives on at the Geisel Library at  in honor of the significant contributions made by the author and his wife. 

In addition, Audrey Geisel continues to play a prominent role in the La Jolla community through her many philanthropic efforts. Most recently she was honored at the 2011 Globe Gala in recognition of the generosity and support she has given to the theatre.

Like this article? Like us on Facebook, too. Or follow us on Twitter.

And be sure to stay in the local loop by subscribing to our newsletter — every morning we’ll deliver La Jolla news, announcements, blogs and calendar events right to your inbox.