In recent years Dr. Seuss has become a controversial figure. Several children's authors called attention to a "jarring racial stereotype" in his book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
In 2014 a blog post on School Library Journal addressed racist illustrations in Dr. Seuss's If I Ran the Zoo.
In March of 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises stopped publishing six books due to portrayals that are "hurtful and wrong." This includes the two books above plus McElligot's Pool, On Beyond Zebra, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat's Quizzer.
If you're a parent or teacher, you may have questions about sharing Dr. Seuss books with children. Here is some advice from experts:
Award-winning children's author Grace Lin shared her thoughts on her blog. She encourages putting racist images in context. Grace Lin was also featured on PBS News Hour in a segment called "What to Do When You Realize Classic Books From Your Childhood Are Racist."
Professor Erin Winkler is the author of the article Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race. She advises, "Although race and racism are difficult topics, it is important to educate ourselves and discuss them with children in an age-appropriate way."
If you'd like to explore this issue further, check out the booklist Talking to Kids about Race and Racism.
