School districts across the country have also moved away from Dr. Seuss, prompting Loudoun County, Virginia, schools just outside Washington, D.C., to douse rumors last month that they were banning the books entirely. If I Ran the Zoo depicts two men, described as being from Africa, wearing grass skirts and carrying exotic-looking animals.

The Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss 20 Reading Books Collection

The Cat in the Hat," one of Seuss' most popular books, has received criticism, too, but will continue to be published for now. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, however, said it is "committed to listening and learning and will continue to review our entire portfolio." Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” the company said on Tuesday. This year, however, Joe Biden left out any reference to the author. The omission prompted complaint on the political right, where concerns about so-called “cancel culture” are rife.In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, criticized a gift of 10 Seuss books from first lady Melania Trump, saying many of his works were "steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes." Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss," the school district said in a statement. he made children see that reading is fun, and in the process, he emphasized respect for all; pushed us to accept ourselves for who we are; challenged preconceived notions and encouraged trying new things; and by example, taught us that we are limited by nothing but the range of our aspirations and the vibrancy of our imaginations.”

Dr. Seuss books and biography | Waterstones Dr. Seuss books and biography | Waterstones

Two years later, Donald Trump said Americans should “remember the still-vibrant words of Dr Seuss: ‘You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.’” Dr. Seuss Enterprises says it conducted a review of his entire catalogue last year over several months. Teachers, academics and “specialists in the field” contributed to the review, the company said.

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Dr Seuss Enterprises said it decided to stop publishing the six books last year but made its decision public on Tuesday, Read Across America Day, an event to promote reading in children and teenagers and aligned with Dr Seuss’s birthday, 2 March. In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield removed a mural that included an Asian stereotype.

Dr Seuss Books Set | Booktopia Dr Seuss Books Set | Booktopia

The National Education Association, which founded Read Across America Day in 1998 and deliberately aligned it with Geisel's birthday, has for several years deemphasized Seuss and encouraged a more diverse reading list for children.The company, which preserves and protects the legacy of the late author and illustrator, who died in 1991 at the age of 87, also noted in the statement that the decision was made over the past year with a panel of experts, including educators, academics, and specialists in the field, who reviewed the catalog of titles.

Dr. Seuss (63 books) - Goodreads Dr. Seuss (63 books) - Goodreads

The list of affected books does not include any of his highly celebrated titles such as Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat in the Hat or The Lorax. It does include his very first book, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, which was published in 1937. The National Education Association (NEA), which coordinates Read Across America Day, has switched from using the day to celebrate Dr Seuss to focusing more on diverse books. The White House has also distanced the day from Seuss.Research has shown that children as young as three can form racial biases, and those biases become fixed by age seven. While Dr Seuss remains a beloved figure in children’s literature, his legacy has come under increasing scrutiny from parents and educators.