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It’s Read Across America Day, which means millions of school children across the country will be celebrating today (or even all week) with Dr. Seuss-themed activities. The day, created by the National Education Association in 1998 to coincide with Dr. Seuss’ birthday, no longer has an official affiliation with the well-known children’s book author—but schools often still connect the festivities to an author who used racist imagery in some of his classic books.
Parents and educators have become increasingly aware of—and vocal about—the racist depictions of some of characters in Theodor Seuss Geisel’s famous children’s books, as well as in the political cartoons, comics, and advertisements he illustrated, as detailed in a 2019 study, Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. As Tiara Jenkins and Jessica Yarmosky wrote for NPR at the time:
Some of Seuss’ classics have been criticized for the way they portray people of color. In And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, for example, a character described as Chinese has two lines for eyes, carries chopsticks and a bowl of rice, and wears traditional Japanese-style shoes. In If I Ran the Zoo, two men said to be from Africa are shown shirtless, shoeless and wearing grass skirts as they carry an exotic animal. Outside of his books, the author’s personal legacy has come into question, too—Seuss wrote an entire minstrel show in college and performed as the main character in full blackface.
In 2017, the NEA ended its partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Since then, some some school districts (most recently Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia) have begun following the association’s lead, announcing their celebrations will drop the emphasis on Seuss in favor of highlighting books that are inclusive and diverse.
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For its part, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced today that it will no longer publish six of the author’s books that “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” according to CNN. Those books are: 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.
Here’s what the NEA says on its website about the current focus of Read Across America:
There’s a growing need for schools and libraries to include and promote diverse books. Students need books that provide both windows and mirrors if we are going to create more readers, writers, and people who feel included and recognized, and who understand that the world is far richer than just their experiences alone. NEA recognizes the need to work with a more diverse array of organizations and publishers to fulfill this need, and the Read Across America brand is now one that is independent of any one particular book, publisher, or character.
There is a case to be made for continuing to read problematic books with our kids—namely that it’s an opportunity to point out the offensive images or phrases as part of larger, ongoing conversations with our kids about racism or sexism. But that doesn’t mean we must actively celebrate one specific author every year, ignoring the racist parts of his work simply because we like the way he rhymes and our kids look cute in tall red-and-white striped hats.
The day can—should—focus on motivating kids to read more by engaging with stories in which they see themselves reflected and give them a window into others’ experiences. There are lots of ways to do that without everyone dressing up like Thing 1 and Thing 2. Here are some alternatives:
- Take them to a library for a book scavenger hunt—challenge them to find books that are “mirrors” and books that are “windows.”
- Suggest your child’s class have a “book tasting,” in which every child brings in a few of their favorites to share with the class.
- Have a family read-a-thon at home. Set up some cozy reading areas with blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and stacks of books. Set the timer and see who can read the longest.
- Offer to be a “guest reader” or “mystery reader” during your child’s virtual class.
- Check out this list of books with diverse characters and plot lines, written by authors of color.
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