Some Dr. Seuss Books Will No Longer Be Published

Prolific writer Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel—or Dr. Seuss—has come under intense scrutiny over the past week, as racist caricatures he drew as a young man (close to a century ago) have surfaced on social media. Of course, none of those instances would pass muster for publication today, and a campaign kick-started to cancel the continuing publication of his works. This week, Dr. Seuss Enterprises attempted to atone for its author’s controversial past works by ceasing all publications of six specific titles due to their “racist illustrations.”

The company released the following statement announcing the decision:

“Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship. We are committed to action. To that end, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles: 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. These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong. Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”

The books came under fire because they included degrading depictions of certain characters: If I Ran The Zoo, the most popular out of all these titles, featured two African characters drawn to look like apes, donning a loincloth and not wearing a shirt or shoes. And Dr. Seuss’ first book under his pseudonym, To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, features a character referred to as a “Chinaman who eats with sticks,” who is wearing a conical hat and has bright yellow skin. One unintended consequence is that prints of these books are now going for increasingly high bids on eBay.