Entertainment

Library Refuses To Ban ‘Hop on Pop’ By Dr. Seuss

Rachel Stoltzfoos Staff Reporter
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A Toronto library has bravely and correctly decided to retain Dr. Seuss’ “Hop on Pop” in its collection, despite a patron’s request the book be removed, an apology be issued, and damages be paid.

Toronto Public Library annual review committee notes released Monday detail the patron’s complaint: The book “encourages children to use violence against their fathers,” and should be removed from the collection, and the library should “issue an apology to fathers in the GTA [Greater Toronto Area] and pay for damages resulting from the book.”

Here’s the offending page:

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The library decided to retain the book on the grounds it’s “humorous and well-loved,” actually tells children not to hop on pop, and because IT’S BY DR SEUSS. Duh.

“Hop and Pop” was one just one of seven titles on the list. Here are some others:

“Lizzy’s Lion” tells the story of a girl whose pet lion saves her from a robber by eating him. Despite a complaint the book is “violent and disturbing,” the library decided to keep it around because it’s actually about inner strength and empowerment.

Requests to get rid of murder mystery novel “Flesh House” and audiobook “A Kiss Remembered” were denied because people like to borrow them.

And a request to ban a DVD copy of “That’s My Boy,” starring Adam Sandler, was denied because the library committee determined the customer didn’t know what he or she was talking about. “The customer watched only ten minutes of the movie so did not see that the teacher’s behavior [an affair with a student] was recognized as illegal,” wrote the committee.

Another Dr. Seuss favorite, “Green Eggs and Ham,” was banned in California in the ’90s because someone thought the eggs and ham represent homosexual seduction. So there’s that.

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