6 Dr Seuss books have been withdrawn due to ‘hurtful and wrong’ imagery

Dr Seuss has been back in the spotlight recently after six of his books were withdrawn due to their insensitive images.

The decision has been taken that the books are to no longer be published because of the racially insensitive imagery, according to the company in charge of the author’s legacy.

The six titles being withdrawn are And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, The Cat’s Quizzer, If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super, McElligot’s Pool and On Beyond Zebra!

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr Seuss Enterprises have said in a statement made to coincide with the anniversary of late American author and illustrator’s birthday.

They continued: “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 has remained popular through the years but occasional ripples of displeasure have disturbed the author’s legacy, particularly with how non-white characters are portrayed.

One example is found in And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, where a ‘Chinese’ character described has just two lines representing their eyes, and carries chopsticks and a bowl of rice, while wearing traditional Japanese shoes. In If I Ran the Zoo, depicts two African men as almost naked and wearing a grass skirt while carrying animals. As the only representation of people of colour and Chinese people in the books they are considered pretty inappropriate.

Emphasis on a more diverse reading list has been called for by the founders of Read Across America Day- The National Education Association in the USA, and this includes moving away from some of the older and more traditional authors previously chosen. Certain school districts in the US have also decided to no longer recommend Dr Seuss, which could be great news for new, and more diverse, authors.

Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia had already told its teachers to “avoid connecting Read Across America Day with Dr Seuss”.

“Realising that many schools continue to celebrate Read Across America Day in partial recognition of Dr Seuss’ birthday, it is important for us to be cognisant of research that may challenge our practice in this regard,” Loudoun County Schools said.

“As we become more culturally responsive and racially conscious, all building leaders should know that in recent years there has been research revealing radical undertones in the books written and the illustrations drawn by Dr Seuss.”