Six Dr. Seuss books cancelled due to allegations of racism

This comes as President Joe Biden pulled Dr. Seuss' books from Read Across America Day, an initiative that was founded in the author's honor. The left-wing educators group called Learning for Justice demanded that Dr. Seuss books be removed from the reading list due to alleged "racial undertones" that are not suitable for "culturally responsive" learning in his children's books.

"These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong," said Dr. Suess Enterprises. "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."

"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," they continued.

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was considered racist for its portrayal of an Asian man wearing a rice hat and eating from a bowl with chopsticks, while If I Ran the Zoo includes two African men wearing grass skirts.

The decision to cease publication of these Dr. Seuss works was reportedly made last year.

Dr. Seuss, who was born in 1904, is often considered the most successful children's author of all time. As of 2020, he was the second highest paid dead celebrity next only to Michael Jackson.

Criticism of Dr. Seuss has ramped up in recent years. In 2017, a school librarian criticized a gift of ten Dr. Seuss books donated by then-First Lady Melania Trump as being "steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes."

The cancellation of Dr. Seuss has faced criticism from conservatives, with commentator Ben Shapiro saying "we've now got foundations book burning the authors to whom they are dedicated. Well done, everyone."

The books McElligot's Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat's Quizzer were also cancelled by the publisher.