Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P announced Tuesday that six of Dr. Seuss’ children’s books will no longer be published because of imagery the company deemed “racist,” the Associated Press reported.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., the company that preserves Dr. Seuss’ legacy through the publishing of his books and maintenance of a children’s website called “Seussville,” told the Associated Press that, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
BREAKING: Organization that preserves author Dr. Seuss’ legacy says it will stop publishing 6 titles because of racist imagery. https://t.co/4BRLoh089y
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2021
The six books that Dr. Seuss Enterprises will cease to publish are “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,” according to the AP.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened to educators and academics and also worked with a “panel of experts” to review the books and make a decision about their future, according to the statement provided to the AP.
Loudon County Public School (LCPS) District in Virginia announced in February that “Dr. Seuss and his books are no longer the emphasis of ‘Read Across America Day’ in Loudoun County Public Schools,” a day that coincides with Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2, according to the FOX affiliate in Charlotte.
The LCPS statement said that this decision to dissociate the day from celebration of Dr. Seuss was made due to the “strong racial undertones” of his books with respect to illustrations he drew in his books about Japanese and African Americans, according to a statement from the LCPS website. (RELATED: Amazon Removes Book Critiquing Transgender Movement).