These 6 Dr. Seuss Books Will No Longer Be Published Due To Racist Imagery

Six Dr. Seuss titles will no longer be published due to racist imagery featured in its pages.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business behind the children's author's legacy, made the announcement on Tuesday, saying, “These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

Titles that will no longer be published and licensed include “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.”

Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the decision was made with the help of a panel of experts, including educators, last year.

“Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles,” the company told the Associated Press.

The imagery in the pulled books is considered racist and insensitive to Blacks and Asians, especially in the author's earlier advertising and propaganda illustrations, the AP said.

The move comes as schools have stepped away from the books as the National Education Association encourages a more diverse reading list for students.

Dr. Seuss’ children books are not alone in being criticized. “Barbar’s Travels” was removed from a British library in 2012 because of its portrayal of Africans. “Curious George” books have also been called out for their storyline which features a white man that brings a monkey home from Africa, the news outlet said.

Dr. Seuss’ books were written by Theodor Seuss Geisel of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was born on March 2 in 1904. His books are sold in more than 100 countries, where they have been translated into braille and dozens of other languages. Dr. Seuss died in 1991.

According to the Forbes, Dr. Seuss’s popularity remains as he earned $33 million in 2020. He was the second highest-paid dead celebrity of 2020, just behind Michael Jackson.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises said: “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.”