on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, dr. seuss enterprises* announced that it would retire 6 dr. seuss publishing books due to racist and insensitive images. “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong”, dr. seuss enterprises told the ap in a statement.
I wonder what dr. will seuss books be pulled from shelves this year?
You are reading: List of 6 dr seuss books
here’s the list: the six books that dr. discontinued seuss enterprises are:
1. “and to think I saw him on mulberry street”
2. “If I Ran the Zoo”
3. “McElligot’s Pool”
4. “On Beyond Zebra!”
5. “Scrambled Eggs Super!”
6. “The Cat’s Quizzer”
Why are Dr. Seuss books being withdrawn?
why dr. seuss racist books?
The famous children’s book writer is responsible for stories like “Green Eggs and Ham” and “How the Grinch Stole Christman.”
He often writes about love, patience, friends, and forgiveness. Some of her funniest and quirkiest picture books highlight the importance of caring for the planet and caring for others.
when melania trump, the former first lady of the united states, donated dr. seuss books, a massachusetts school librarian rejected them saying they contained racist undertones and were “not necessary”.
but the question remains, how is dr. seuss racist books?
look, although the capricious writer was a liberal democrat, he was the product of a different era. It can be said through his writings that he opposed fascism and all forms of oppression.
however, there seem to be some mishaps and errors in judgment.
even he admitted that, claiming they were “snap judgments every political cartoonist has to make.”
let’s take a look at each individual book that has been banned and understand why dr. seuss is being cancelled.
they are dr. seuss racist books?
Before we begin, it is important to understand the context of this decision by dr. seuss companies.
made an informed decision based on advice, constructive criticism, and productive discussion within dr. seuss community.
There is much criticism from conservative politicians, who claim that there is a clear political objective. So there are definitely two sides to the story.
Having said that, it is up to you to determine if that decision was justified.
1. “and to think I saw him on mulberry street”
the reason why this dr. the seuss book was pulled from themselves because there was a stereotypical depiction of an asian person wearing a conical hat and holding chopsticks.
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Even though the focus of the story is about a little boy who imagines the most fantastic parade, many people feel that the stereotypical illustration could be detrimental to some communities.
2. “if I ran the zoo”
This is the story of a boy who imagines what the zoo would be like if he ran it.
many people believe that this book “doesn’t belong” in the modern world because dr. Seuss used my physiognomic stereotypes about Native Americans, African Americans, and other minorities.
Do you agree with this sentiment?
3. “mcelligot pool”
dr. seuss writes about a boy fishing in a small pond and imagining the passage of extraordinary species of fish.
In one of his descriptions, he used the term “eskimo fish” to describe a school of fish “wearing” the stereotypical clothing of the indigenous population.
4. “beyond the zebra!”
this dr. the seuss book is considered racist is not as obvious as the previous cases.
The story is about a young narrator who decides to add a few more letters to the English alphabet, each one representing a new creature.
the letters look like Persian monograms. and in one case, the author describes a person riding a camel-like animal. the terms he uses are phonetically similar to Middle Eastern dialects.
5. “super scrambled eggs!”
This is a story about how to make delicious scrambled eggs using the eggs of rare birds.
This one isn’t as politically charged as the rest of the books on your list, but the author’s message might not measure up.
the idea that you can steal or manipulate others to be the best indication of deep-seated imperialist tendencies in the West that have resulted in the oppression of the indigenous population.
6. “the cat contest”
the cat in the hat, a popular character who appeared in the title book, introduces us to ziggy and zizzy zozzfozzel, a brother and sister who get all the quiz questions wrong!
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the reason why this dr. Seuss’s book is considered racist because the author makes fun of African and Japanese pygmies, using “funny” comments against them.
do you think dr. should the seuss books have been canceled after all?
just a few days after his birthday, it seems this isn’t the celebration any of us would expect!
theodor seuss geisel or “dr. seuss” has written more than 60 books, containing some of the most memorable and hilarious stories.
There are many adults who grew up and built their childhood memories within these stories.
and while many people believe that these books are a “dangerous product,” to quote philip nel, a children’s literature scholar at kansas state university, there are those who acknowledge that the celebrated author changed his mind later in life . .
Personally, I am glad that young children, both white and Asian, are not read these painful images and stories. i think dr. seuss would be happy too. he later he came to repent of these works. pic.twitter.com/hfohqo9zoy
with stories like “horton listens to who!” and “the sneetches”, it shows that he matured as a writer and human.
President Joe Biden has recently discontinued Dr. seuss from read across america day, without mentioning his name during his speech.
that’s in line with dr. seuss enterprises decision to cancel these 6 “problematic” books. while acknowledging the impact it had on many generations of children, they feel that all boys and girls should be represented and not feel threatened or mocked, even in the context of humour.
I want to end this with a quote from another fantasy writer who is loved by the younger generation, Terry Pratchett: “Satire is meant to ridicule power. if you laugh at people who suffer, it’s not satire, it’s bullying.”
do you agree that dr. Are seuss books racist? comment below.
why dr. seuss are the books retired?
dr. seuss enterprises said he made the decision to remove all 6 books after consulting with teachers and experts.
“ceasing the sale of these books is just one part of our commitment and broader plan to ensure that dr. the seuss enterprises catalog represents and supports all communities and families”,
if you are a fan of dr. seuss books, don’t worry.
There are still plenty of popular books available from the author, like The Cat in the Hat and Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
see our full list of dr. seuss books.
If you’d rather celebrate reading week across America with more diverse books from other authors, check out our list of the best children’s books on diversity.
*(source: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56250658)