Happy Dr. Seuss Day, or is it really?
Beloved author, Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel), would be 116 years old today, March 2. Seuss died on September 24, 1991. But his memory lives on, and so do his classic children's books ... well, except for six books. According to CNN, Dr. Seuss Enterprise announced today they will discontinue the sale of the following books for reasons they note as anti-Semitic (just a note: Seuss was of Jewish-German descent) as well as racist portrayals of African-Americans and Asians:
- "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"
Many of these books were written in a time when our country was not as "woke," but Dr. Seuss broached difficult topics and conversations in ways that engaged not only children with his whimsical cartoons and play-on-words, but challenged all readers (young and old) to examine their own prejudices and actions. The illustrations and verbiage may reflect a time of old, but his framing of social, racial, and environmental injustices are timeless conversations, and hopefully, cherished by both old and new generations.
Courtesy of Dr. Seuss (Facebook)
Even despite the absence of some of Dr. Seuss's books, his legacy continues to live on. And with any legacy, controversy will always play a part in history.
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