Dr. Seuss Enterprises Discontinues Six Books For Racist Images

Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced they were ceasing publication of six books – And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super! and The Cat’s Quizzer – on Tuesday, their namesake’s birthday.

In s statement on their website, Dr. Seuss Enterprises said those 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’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” read the statement.

The company said the decision to halt production of these books was made last year.

“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,” said the company.

Dr. Seuss’ publisher, Random House Children Books, released a statement that read, “We respect the decision of Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE) and the work of the panel that reviewed this content last year, and their recommendation.”

Dr. Seuss, who’s real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel, has remained popular, even after his death in 1991. He was number two on Forbes list of the highest paid dead celebrities, behind Michael Jackson.

Despite this, criticism has grown over the years for the way black people, Asian people and others are drawn in his books. The National Education Association has deemphasized Dr. Seuss and encouraged people to read more diverse books. Schools have also moved away from Dr. Seuss’ books, as the books joined other series who have been criticized for alleged racism.

The Cat in the Hat has also received criticism, but will continue to be published at this time.

Conservatives have assailed the move as the latest example of “cancel culture.”