Dr. Seuss Enterprises is closing the book on six titles, including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo and McElligot’s Pool, due to what the organization concedes are “hurtful and wrong” character portrayals.
Today’s announcement, posted on the Dr. Seuss Enterprises website, comes after some works by the late children’s author have drawn scrutiny for racist and insensitive imagery, particularly in their depictions of Black and Asian characters.
“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,” the statement reads.
Read the full statement below.
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The organization, which oversees the legacy of the popular and still-lucrative Theodor Seuss Geisel, who died in 1991, said that it had consulted a panel of experts including educators in reviewing its catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication of six 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,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises writes. “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 announcement arrives on what is both Geisel’s birthday and the annual Read Across America Day founded by the National Education Association in 1998. Read Across America Day was intentionally established on Geisel’s birthday, though the Association has deemphasized the connection in recent years while promoting a more diverse roster of writers and books for kids.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Seuss Enterprises said it is “committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio.”
The six axed titles announced today have long drawn criticism from some readers. For example, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, first published in 1937, includes a stereotypical depiction of a Chinese man, which until Geisel’s revision in the late 1970s referred to the character as “Chinaman.” If I Ran the Zoo, first published in 1950, has long been targeted for its caricatures of Africans, Asians and Middle Eastern characters.
Here is the full text of today’s announcement:
Statement from Dr. Seuss Enterprises
March 2, 2021
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.
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