Geisel’s racist imagery exists outside of his popular children’s books. “And we can still have those informational conversations, even with these depictions that may be harmful or are harmful, to how we develop thoughts about other cultures. Our job is to enlighten, enrich and inform our community,” Homer says. “Removing these books because people might object very much goes against what we stand for as a public library. Two of the banned titles have not been in circulation at the library for years, but the ones the library does own will remain on the shelves. Only one - "The Cat in the Hat" - was among the top 100 children's titles checked out last year. Seuss books are not particularly popular at his libraries. “The librarians have known about this for a long time and have been discussing this for decades,” says Jason Homer, executive director of the Worcester Public Library, located near the museum. The mural depicted a Chinese character with slanted eyes, chopsticks and a pointed hat. Seuss Museum in Geisel’s hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, removed a mural after some authors refused to visit the museum in protest. So, you know, he's a giant in the world of American children's literature.”Īllegations of racist stereotypes in the author’s work are not new. “It's been estimated that one out of four children receive, as its first book, a Dr. Seuss is one of the dominant figures,” says Nel, who also directs the children's literature program at Kansas State University. During a prolific career that spanned decades and produced dozens of books, he used playful, rhythmic language, an anti-authoritarian tone, and whimsical, often outlandish, illustrations to help teach millions of children to read. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, died in 1991. Seuss Enterprises has pulled from publication.
Seuss Enterprises has stopped printing, and why.An Arab caricature in "If I Ran the Zoo," one of six books by Dr. Scroll down for a look at each of the books Dr. It also led to a broader discussion of how the publishing industry works - many incensed readers did not realize that books are rarely kept in print for this long, or that taking them out of print would not mean destroying every extant copy.Įach of the books removed from print saw a huge spike in sales, both in bookshops and on the secondhand market. The decision sparked heated debates on social media at the time, many of which turned political fast. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles." Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process. Seuss Enterprises' catalog represents and supports all communities and families. In a statement published by The Associated Press, a company representative said: "Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr.
Seuss Enterprises announced in March that it would no longer print new copies of the 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 Quizzer.
Here's a refresher on what actually happened.ĭr.
The story became over-complicated and politicized on social media, where many commenters projected strong personal feelings onto the update. Suess Enterprises announced it would stop printing six of the old children's books in its catalog due to racist imagery within.
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