Right: In wartime, cartoonists often go to extreme lengths to portray ''the enemy'' as vicious, underhanded, even inhuman. Theodor Geisel was no exception, but he is believed to have later regretted much of his World War II depictions of Japanese and Japanese-Americans.
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Arguments in favour of withdrawing from publication six Dr Seuss's books
1. These Dr Seuss books may foster prejudiced views among children
Supporters of the removal of these six Dr Seuss titles from publication argue that young children are vulnerable to racist messages presented in texts and images. They further argue that young children's inability to verbalise the racist images they have absorbed makes them particularly susceptible to developing racist attitudes.
According to this argument, without having the ability to put into words the negative connotations of the images they see, young children are less able than adults to deal intellectually with prejudice and reject these images; therefore, they are more likely to accept these biased depictions. Philip Nel, a professor of English at Kansas State University and the author of 'Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature and the Need for Diverse Books' has stated, 'Children understand more than they can articulate. If you inflict racist images on them before they can express what... [these images are] articulating they may endure a harm they cannot process.'
Karin Klein, an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times, has explained the mechanism through which children's literature creates an impression on its young readers. She has noted, 'These Seuss books were written for pre-schoolers and primary-grade students. They generally were read time and again by the same children, meaning that racist depictions of Chinese people wearing coolie hats and Africans with hoops in their noses were impressed deeply into their minds, and for many might have formed their first impressions of these groups.'
On March 6, 2021, The Washington Post published a comment by Meena Harris in which she also reinforces Nel's view. Harris stated, 'When you grow up in a world that has harmful messages and images that are constantly, and in many ways unconsciously, communicated through so many staples of our childhoods, it communicates an exclusionary message... So much effort is put into teaching adults to unlearn the deep-seated racism they picked up at a young age. Shouldn't we be just as committed to making sure that the next generation of kids don't learn those ideas in the first place?'
Harris further explained both the positive and negative impact books can have on developing children. She has stated, 'Children's books have a profound impact on young, developing minds. They are crucial to early vocabulary development, offer morals and lessons, and shape how children understand the world around them. At a very young age, children can begin to internalize harmful racial stereotypes based on the environment and media they're exposed to, with a number of studies showing children as young as three can harbor racial bias.' It has been claimed that at least some Dr Suess books contain biased depictions with the capacity to promote racial prejudice in children. Researchers published through St Catherine University, Minnesota, found that Dr. Seuss wrote about only two human black characters, and both are depicted as monkeys. In 'And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street', the 2019 St Catherine University study noted, a Chinese man is drawn 'with chopsticks and a bowl of rice in his hands, bright yellow skin, slanted eyes, a long black braid, and a conical hat.' In the book 'If I Ran the Zoo', a white man says he would 'put a person of colour wearing a turban' on display. The authors of another 2019 study noted that this was an act of 'dehumanisation', which is 'to treat someone as though he or she is not human.' The St Catherine University study claims that the treatment of non-white characters in Dr. Seuss's stories encourages 'the development and reinforcement of racial bias in young children.'
Katie Ishizuka and Ramon Stephens, the authors of the 2019 study, titled, 'The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books' have summarised the negative impact they believe racist depictions in Dr Seuss's books can have on young readers. They state, 'Children's books provide impressions and messages that can last a lifetime, and shape how children see and understand themselves, their homes, communities, and world. A long history of research shows that text accompanied with imagery, such as books with pictures, shapes children's racial attitudes. When children's books centre Whiteness, erase people of colour and other oppressed groups, or present people of colour in stereotypical, dehumanizing, or subordinate ways, they both ingrain and reinforce internalized racism and White supremacy.'
2. These Dr Seuss books may harm children from the racial or cultural backgrounds negatively depicted
Supporters of the withdrawal from publication of several Dr Seuss books argue that these texts contain negative depictions of particular ethnic groups and that children who belong to these groups may be damaged by these representations.
A 2019 study published through St Catherine University, Minnesota, referred to some of the racist images in several Seuss books. In 'And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street', the study noted, a Chinese man is drawn 'with chopsticks and a bowl of rice in his hands, bright yellow skin, slanted eyes, a long black braid, and a conical hat.'
Also in 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,' a white man is shown holding a whip above a man of colour and the elephant he is riding on. In the book 'If I Ran the Zoo', a white man says he would 'put a person of colour wearing a turban' on display. The authors of the St Catherine University study noted that this threat to put a turbaned man in a cage was an act of 'dehumanisation', which is 'to treat someone as though he or she is not human.' Also in 'If I Ran the Zoo', a white boy holds a large gun while standing on the heads of three Asian men. Additionally, 'If I Ran the Zoo' features two men from Africa who are shirtless, shoeless, and wearing grass skirts while holding an exotic animal. It has further been noted that not only do Dr Seuss books negatively depict some racial groups but these racial groups are also underrepresented in Suess stories. The St Catherine University study found Dr. Seuss only wrote about two human black characters, and both are depicted as monkeys. It has been argued that the dehumanising and belittling depiction of some racial and cultural groups harms the self-perception of children who belong to these groups. Carl James, an education professor at York University, has stated, '[Literature] has an impact and an influence on the early development of self, the understanding of self, how children come to know themselves and [...] their potential.' Referring to children from racial or cultural backgrounds that are shown negatively, James has claimed that it is vitally important that racist depictions in children's literature not be allowed to 'undermine [children's] potential or their abilities or their sense of being or their sense of belonging.'
Philip Nel, a professor of English at Kansas State University and the author of 'Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature and the Need for Diverse Books' has stated, '[Seuss] often sees national or ethnic or racial difference as exotic and as fun, or as funny... In highlighting the exoticness of somebody, or the otherness of somebody as a point of amusement, you are telling people that national or ethnic, or racial difference can be the punch line, and that is painful if you are a member of the group who is the punch line.' Suess Enterprises, when announcing the withdrawal of the six titles, stated, 'Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr Seuss Enterprises' catalogue represents and supports all communities and families.'
Critics have seen the Seuss Enterprises' comment as an admission that some communities and families are not supported or positively represented in the withdrawn titles.Authors and academics have stressed the importance for children of all racial and cultural groups of seeing themselves frequently and positively depicted in children's books. Dr Suess's work has been criticised as containing stories that not only present certain racial groups negatively but as also underrepresenting them. Meena Harris, a children's author who has two non-Caucasian daughters, has noted how difficult it has been to find children's books that encouraged her children to view themselves positively. Harris has stated, 'I have two young daughters, and I've spent countless hours looking for books that would reflect their experiences and encourage their ambitions. As a new parent, I was surprised and frustrated by how hard it was to find those books. Often, I was forced to improvise on the fly - changing pronouns from "he" to "she" or "they," and sometimes even resorting to colouring a White character's skin with a brown marker.'
Lindsay P�rez Huber, Associate Professor at the College of Education, California State University, Long Beach, has similarly stated, 'In 2015...there were 85 books published in the United States that included Latinx characters from the 3,200 children's books the ...[ Cooperative Children's Book Center} received that year. That's about 2.5 percent of the total, whereas Latinx kids represent about 1 in 4 school children in the United States.' Professor Huber explained how damaging this omission of diverse and positive racial depictions can be. She stated, 'Books can serve as important tools for children to develop their own sense of self and identity. When children of colour do not see themselves in the books they read, this sends the message that they and their communities are not important.' The White-centric focus of Dr Seuss's books is condemned by critics as being part of a general tendency in children's literature to exclude diversity. 3. Many children reading Dr Seuss books are too young to appreciate explanations about racism
Critics of these six titles claim that child readers are too young to have the racism depicted in some of the Seuss titles explained to them as something that was once seen as appropriate but is not now.
It has been claimed that young children are unlikely to be able to understand arguments that try to place these Seuss books in a historical context, explaining that Seuss only wrote or illustrated in a racist way because racism was accepted at the time. On March 30, 2021, The Week published a comment by Jeva Lange in which she stated, 'You're not likely to have a productive conversation about historical racism with a 1-year-old.'
In an opinion piece published on February 26, 2019, Tiara Jenkins and Jessica Yarmosky quote teachers of senior students who argue that it is important to teach texts that contain racism so that their distorted values can be discussed and exposed. However, Jenkins and Yarmosky note that while it may be possible to have these conversations with teenage readers, with 'books geared toward younger kids...Those discussions can get a lot more complicated.' This point has also been made by writer and educator Rebehak Gienapp when offering advice to primary school teachers considering teaching reading through some Dr Seuss books. Gienapp states, 'When considering whether to read books like The Cat in the Hat and other books with racist stereotypes in the classroom, teachers of young children need to remember that kids begin forming racial stereotypes as young as age 3. While high school teachers can have critical conversations with teenagers about racist themes in books, this is much harder to do with a group of young children.'
Sheila Cordner, a senior lecturer at the College of General Studies, Boston University, has argued, 'One could argue that making problematic texts available can lead to teachable moments about discrimination, but for the targeted picture book audience, the risk of internalizing prejudice is greater than the opportunity for educating about race through Dr. Seuss' stereotyped depictions.'
The same point has been made by Jeanne Yacoubou, a homeschooler, and former public-school teacher, who has stated, 'If your kids or students love any of the six books containing racist images that are going out of publication and they insist that you read them, it may or may not be appropriate to explain why they're problematic. It depends on the age of your child and their level of understanding... young children may have little understanding of whatever words you use to explain why the Geisel drawings are bad. They may become upset if, when they ask for them, they're told they can't look at those books anymore or that they're gone from your home or classroom.' Yacoubou's recommendation is that the potentially offensive books be quietly removed from the family bookshelf in a manner similar to the decision taken by Seuss Enterprises to remove the books from publication. She argues that children need to be protected from the messages contained in such texts until they are old enough to have a discussion that would explore why some of the language and images in the withdrawn books are not acceptable. It has also been argued that many parents may not be able to explain adequately to young children why they should not accept the racist images and concepts that these books contain. Philip Nel, a professor of English at Kansas State University and the author of 'Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature and the Need for Diverse Books' has stated, 'Parents may not have training in anti-racist education or may not know how to have these conversations.'
4. Withdrawing these Dr Suess books is part of an attempt to achieve more diversity in the books offered to children
Many of those who support the removal of six of Dr Seuss's books from publication explain that it is part of a larger campaign to increase diversity in children's literature. According to this argument, increasing diversity involves removing books that are racially offensive and increasing the number of books available that focus on characters of different racial and cultural backgrounds. These books with more varied characters should present them in positive, non-stereotypic ways.
Schools that support the removal of these books from publication have explained that they were 'simply shifting to a more diverse pool of literature.'
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) have explained their reduced emphasis on Dr Suess during the annual Read Across America Day by stating, 'We want to encourage our young readers to read all types of books that are inclusive and diverse and reflective of our student community, not simply celebrate Dr Seuss... That being said, Dr Seuss books have not been banned; they are still available to students in our libraries and classrooms.' Others have also stressed that the recent debate surrounding books by Dr Seuss should be used to prompt wider reading options for children. Viewing the question of reading diversity from an American perspective, children's author Meena Harris has stated, 'Instead of focusing narrowly on Dr. Seuss and his place in the perpetual culture war, children's literature has an opportunity to give more access to authors and illustrators of color. To diversify the gatekeepers and decision-makers in the publishing industry. To give a generation of kids who look like my daughters (and kids who don't) a chance to learn from characters that reflect their experiences.' Harris concluded, 'Ending the publication of children's books that portray harmful stereotypes is just one part of the solution. The other is proactively telling new stories that are inclusive so that every child can see themselves as the protagonist in a story full of possibility.'
Other critics of some of Suess's work who argue for greater diversity and inclusivity in what is offered to children have considered it from a British point of view. On April 8, 2021, Oxford University's independent online student magazine, Cherwell, published a comment by Beth Proctor titled 'Deconstructing Dr Seuss: the issue of diversity in children's literature'. Proctor explained, 'After a report in 2020 revealed that only 5 percent of British children's books featured a Black or minority ethnic main character, other titles are providing much-needed representation. "Sulwe" by Lupita Nyong'o features a young Black protagonist who wishes she looked more like her mother. The story deals with colourism as the girl is taken on a magical journey that shows her how beautiful she is. Meanwhile, "Hair Love" by Mathew Cherry is "an ode to your natural hair" in which an African American father learns to help his daughter style her hair. For older readers there are books like "The Boy at the Back of the Class" by Onjali Q. Ra�f, an award-winning story about the refugee crisis told from a child's perspective...Every child deserves to see themselves represented in the books they read...These are the kind of books that children will love and learn from and, ultimately, that is what reading is all about.'
Australian primary school teacher and school leader, Dr Lorraine Beveridge, has made a similar point regarding the Dr Seuss debate and the need for diversity and inclusivity in what Australian children are offered to read. Dr Beveridge has stated, 'The times are a-changing, and the decision to remove these titles from the Dr Seuss collection reflect this world-view, to ensure children's literature is inclusive and representative of the multicultural societies in which we live.'
5. Withdrawing these Dr Suess books will help to preserve the author's legacy
Among those who support the withdrawal of six Dr Seuss titles from publication are those fans of Theodor Geisel's work who believe that removing these offending books from the market will preserve the rest of the author and illustrator's work from condemnation.
The decision to withdraw six Dr Seuss titles from publication was taken by Dr Seuss Enterprises which justified it by claiming it worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review its catalogue and made the decision in 2020. The company said the move was the first step in efforts to promote inclusion for all children. It stated, 'Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr Seuss Enterprises' catalogue represents and supports all communities and families.'
In its statement the company also seemed concerned to ensure that Geisel's work was not unfairly censured because of some of the works he produced which are now seen as problematic. Seuss Enterprises noted the author's own story is 'one of growth with some early works containing hurtful stereotypes to later works like "The Sneetches" and "Horton Hears a Who!" which contain lessons of tolerance and inclusion.' The statement concludes with a quote from Seuss: 'It's not how you start that counts. It's what you are at the finish.' Stephen Silver, a journalist and film critic who writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer, sees the withdrawal from publication as a means of limiting potential damage to Theodore Geisel's standing. He emphasises that it was an action taken by Dr Seuss Enterprises, a business controlled by the author's estate and responsible for preserving and protecting the Seuss legacy. Silver further notes the action was not taken by some hostile outside agency. Silver writes, 'We can debate whether doing this was the right thing, but it's important to point out a few things. The decision was made by the company that owns and controls the books, not by the government, or by a "mob" that pressured it.
Also, these are far from Dr. Seuss's most popular or significant works. The printing of The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and Green Eggs and Ham will remain unaffected. Those graduating from high school will likely continue to receive multiple copies of Oh, the Places You'll Go! as gifts.'
Silver further observes that removing these books from the list of titles authorised for publication is likely to promote a more balanced and fairer appraisal of Geisel's work. Silver states, 'It's possible to grapple with the more problematic aspects of Dr. Seuss' legacy while also appreciating his good and enduring works. And the author's books, rather than being "banned," remain available all over the place, from Amazon to my own kids' school.'
Australian children's writer Lili Wilkinson similarly argues that the withdrawal of these titles was intended to preserve what is best in the Dr Seuss canon. Wilkinson noted, 'I'm not at all surprised that Seuss's estate has decided to cease publication of six titles due to their racist portrayal of people of colour. To do otherwise would be disrespectful to Seuss's legacy of kindness and empathy...
It is always worth re-examining our literary canon and asking - does the cultural value of this book outweigh the potential harm? For Seuss's estate, the answer was "no" for the six books that won't be licensed anymore.' Wilkinson added, 'This is not 'cancel culture', and it's not censorship. It's a commercial decision made by a board of experts, trying to protect an author's legacy and relevance in changing times. Not everything can stay in print.'