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Six books from famed children’s author Dr. Seuss will no longer be published after it was determined the books “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” according to the business which preserves the author’s legacy.
The six books, “And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzler” are no longer to be published by Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The company consulted educators before making its final decision.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.
The news arrives on what would have been Dr. Seuss’ 117th birthday on Tuesday (March 2). Known best for classics such as “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Horton Hears A Who” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Seuss’ books have sold over 650 million copies worldwide.
However, Seuss had a history of publishing racist work dating back to the 1920s when he was a college student at Dartmouth. He once drew Black boxers as gorillas and perpetuated Jewish stereotypes by making Jewish characters appear “financially stingy.” A study published in 2019 determined 43 of the 45 characters of color in 50 of the author’s works featured characteristics “aligning with the definition of Orientalism,” or an offensive portrayal of Asia. The two “African” characters found in the study, both have anti-Black characteristics.
