Famous cartoonist, illustrator, and children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss, is under fire for writing 6 books that feature racist and insensitive imagery.

“I was extremely shocked by this news. Growing up, books by Dr. Seuss were basically my childhood. “The Cat’s Quizzer” was a book my 2nd grade teacher used to read to my class. To hear that the book and others are now not being published due to racial insults and prejudice is kind of earth shattering. I grew up with these books, but I have just now noticed the extent to which they may be really insulting and racist. So, overall, I may be shocked, but looking back at the stories, I understand the need to cancel these books.”, expresses IB freshman Riya Ahilan.

The books have officially been “shelved” by Dr. Seuss enterprises, the company managing publication and leasing of Seuss’ books. The company decided to cease publishing and other publication processes relating to the mentioned books. 

“Our mission is to support all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship. 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’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families.” claimed Dr. Seuss enterprises through a public statement.

In the 6 “banned books, racial prejudice and terrible stereotypical images were referenced. In “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street”, Asian stereotypes were especially prominent in imagery of chopsticks and a conical hat. “If I Ran the Zoo” included more prejudice towards multiple cultures. African men were depicted as “cavemen”, wearing grass skirts and lacking shoes. African Americans were also portrayed as elephants. After reviewing the book, critics exclaim that these references were insultingly stereotypical and it was astonishing that they were undiscovered for this long. Moreover, 43 out of the 45 characters of color have “characteristics aligning with the definition of Orientalism,” or the stereotypical, offensive portrayal of Asia. These are just some examples of the terrible prejudice portrayed in the books. Dr. Seuss is not innocent of this injustice. With current hate crimes and other abuses rampant, this is especially critical.

“I find myself thankful that these issues were finally noticed despite my shock. This whole ideal kind of reminds of cancel culture in the sense that Dr. Seuss is probably ‘cancelled’ in the eyes of the new generation. Though it usually is toxic, resolved cases like these make cancel culture valid.” reports  Ahilan.

Many people have taken advantage of this announcement. The public has taken to selling owned books as antiques or rare mementos as publishing for these books will end. There have already been such instances for resale on the online marketplace: listings on eBay and Amazon were made for several books, ranging from $1,000 to $1,500. While eBay and Amazon are doing their best to remove these listings online, there are still “retired” books online for resale.

Besides resale, the public has taken to buying last-minute copies of the banned books. New York Times reported an excessive spike in Dr. Seuss book sales. The public believe that since many of his stereotypical and racial tendencies have been revealed in the mentioned 6 books, more instances will be revealed as well in his other books. Thus, they are saving all of his written books for future caution. Essentially, books by Dr. Seuss are now valuable or anomalies.

“The books we share with our children matter. Books shape their world view and tell them how to relate to the people, places, and ideas around them. As grown-ups, we have to examine the worldview we are creating for our children, including carefully re-examining our favorites,” tweets Rebekah Fitzsimmons, an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Banned Book 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!”
• “The Cat’s Quizzer”