In a statement released on Mar. 2, 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that six books written by famed children’s author illustrator Dr. Seuss would no longer be published and licensed. 

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong”, Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in their statement. 

The six books from Dr. Seuss that will no longer be published are If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra, The Cat’s Quizzer, and, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, which was actually Dr. Seuss’ first children’s book. 

While Dr. Seuss books have long been a staple in children’s literature and education, his books have become a topic of controversy in recent years. Critics have accused his work of being racist and depicting certain groups of people, particularly people of non-white backgrounds, in harmful and offensive ways. One example in If I Ran the Zoo shows two men from Africa who are shirtless, shoeless, and wearing grass skirts. Depictions of non-white people like this one have led people to move away from Dr. Seuss as part of children’s literature. 

In addition, Dr. Seuss books had been heavily emphasized during “Read Across America Day”, which has traditionally been held on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2nd. In recent years, “Read Across America Day” has put much less emphasis on Dr. Seuss’ books and encouraged kids to explore more diverse reading material. Schools have also begun to move away from teaching Dr. Seuss books on “Read Across America Day” as a way to promote inclusivity to young children.