Dr. Seuss’ Stepdaughter Reacts To Six Books Shelved, Says He Didn’t Have “A Racist Bone” In His Body

On Tuesday, it was announced that six books written by Dr. Seuss will no longer be published because they feature racist imagery.

Six Dr. Seuss Books ‘Cancelled’

One of the late author’s stepdaughters is defending him in the wake of this controversy.

“There wasn’t a racist bone in that man’s body — he was so acutely aware of the world around him and cared so much,’’ Lark Grey Dimond-Cates told The New York Post about Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel.

She’s responding to the announcement made by Penguin Random House, which publishes all Dr. Seuss books, saying that it would not continue printing the following books: “If I Ran the Zoo,” “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”

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Dr. Seuss Enterprises Supports The Move

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told The Associated Press. “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.”

The company, which was founded by Dr. Seuss’ family, said that this decision was actually made last year.

It was announced today because March 2 is the late author’s birthday. He passed away in 1991. 

“Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process,” the company said. “We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.”

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Sad Day For Fans

While Dimond-Cates does not believe that her stepfather was racist, she also said that she can understand why the company made the decision. 

“I think this is a world that right now is in pain, and we’ve all got to be very gentle and thoughtful and kind with each other,” she said. “This is just very difficult, painful times that we live in. We’re taking that into account and being thoughtful. We don’t want to upset anybody.’’

That being said, Dimond-Cates is still hoping that this decision is not permanent. She would like to see the six books be printed again someday “because his body of work is unique.”

Dimond-Cates, who is one of Dr. Seuss’ second wife Audrey Geisel’s daughters, described her stepfather as “a sensitive, intelligent, caring man” who was “a product of his times, as we all are.”

Today has been a sad day for the millions of us who grew up with Dr. Seuss books.