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Six Dr Seuss Books Pulled From Shelves Due To 'Racist' And 'Harmful' Imagery

Six Dr Seuss Books Pulled From Shelves Due To 'Racist' And 'Harmful' Imagery

The author's estate said the move was to ensure the books 'represent and support all communities and families'.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Six books from the world of Dr Seuss will stop being produced due to imagery that has previously been called 'racist' and 'harmful'.

The whacky author's estate has confirmed The Cat's Quizzer, If I Ran the Zoo, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, On Beyond Zebra! And Scrambled Eggs Super and McElligot's Pool will be pulled from shelves and not allowed to be published.

A statement from Dr Seuss Enterprises said: "Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr Seuss Enterprises' catalogue represents and supports all communities and families."

"Dr Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process.

"We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalogue of titles."

PA

The estate claimed the books 'portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong'. In If I Ran the Zoo it showed 'men from Africa' wearing grass skirts who were carrying animals.

Theodor Seuss Geisel's books came under fire in 2017 when then-First Lady Melania Trump donated 10 of his books to a school library in Cambridge, Massachusetts for National Read a Book Day.

The school librarian rejected the offer and claimed the content contained within the pages were 'steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes'.

In a letter addressed to Mrs Trump, Liz Phipps Soeiro said Dr Seuss was 'a bit of a cliché' and a 'tired and worn ambassador for children's literature'.

She ended up being spoken to by the the Cambridge school, who said Ms Soeiro 'was not authorised to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district', according to CBS Boston.

Theodor Seuss Geisel.
PA

Joe Biden broke a decade old tradition this year by not including Dr Seuss in his Read Across America Day address.

The day, celebrated on March 2, coincides with Dr Seuss author Theodor Geisel, who was mentioned in every single one of Barack Obama's Read Across America Day addresses.

In 2016, the former President said: "Through a prolific collection of stories, he made children see that reading is fun, and in the process, he emphasised respect for all; pushed us to accept ourselves for who we are; challenged preconceived notions and encouraged trying new things; and by example, taught us that we are limited by nothing but the range of our aspirations and the vibrancy of our imaginations.

"And for older lovers of literature, he reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously, creating wacky and wild characters and envisioning creative and colourful places."

Donald Trump mentioned Dr Seuss in all but one of his proclamations.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News