![]() ![]() "There are a lot of, well, classics that are just out of step with right now, and they have been problematic for a long time."Īt the same time, Hohn said that just because the books will no longer be published, doesn't mean that they should be swept under the rug or ignored. "I think they're just being responsible and responsive, which is important," Hohn said. 'There are a lot of classics that are just out of step with right now, and they have been problematic for a long time,' she said. Children's books that reinforce negative stereotypes can do the opposite, and she said the company's decision to stop publishing these books is likely a response to parents and educators who have been speaking out.Ĭanadian author Nadia Hohn said she supports the move to stop publishing six of Dr. It's important for the books in her classroom to affirm students, she said, and not make them feel embarrassed or like they have to hide who they are. "So things change, and Random House is recognizing that maybe it would be a good idea if we didn't publish books that put damage into the world."Ĭanadian children's book author and teacher Nadia Hohn agreed the decision to remove the books was a good one. "But if you think for example of automobiles in the '50s, they didn't have seatbelts … Now all cars have seatbelts, because it's a really good idea, if you like driving and staying alive. "These books date from the '30s, '40s and '50s," Nel said. He said while many might think of the move as an example of "cancel culture," he sees it as like a "product recall." Contextualizing Seuss's books alongside examples that accurately depict different cultures and people can also be useful, but requires that educators be trained in anti-racist education, and engage fully in difficult conversations, he said. Nel said this sort of grappling with history - questioning whether a book we loved as children may be damaging to children today - is healthy and can be used as a stepping stone in learning about harmful stereotypes. Seuss's complicated history as a political cartoonist ![]() If they find any, a spokesperson said, they may recommend pulling the books from the stacks or moving them from the children's section.Ī spokesperson for the Vancouver Public Library said they're launching a similar review, to determine if any action is necessary. Seuss, and in 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Mass., criticized a gift of 10 Seuss books from first lady Melania Trump, saying many of his works were "steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures and harmful stereotypes."Īnd on Wednesday, the Toronto Public Library said a group of librarians are reviewing the removed Seuss titles for racial or cultural representation concerns. School districts across the United States have also moved away from Dr. Seuss Enterprise was far from the first to notice these problems. The National Education Association, which founded Read Across America Day in 1998 and deliberately aligned it with Geisel's birthday, has for several years de-emphasized Seuss and encouraged a more diverse reading list for children. Other depictions and descriptions of African, Middle Eastern and Asian people pervade the books in question, he said. "It's slightly less racist, but it still doesn't solve the problem," Nel said. In a later release of the same book, that name was changed and the image updated, but remained fundamentally the same. In his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, one of the characters is described with a racist term and depicted as a caricature of Chinese culture. Offensive images and plot points persisted in some of Seuss's work even after they were changed by the author, according to Philip Nel, a scholar of children's literature and the author of Was The Cat in the Hat Black? among other books on Seuss. 2 on its highest-paid dead celebrities of 2020, behind only the late pop star Michael Jackson. He remains popular, earning an estimated $33 million US before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million US five years ago, the company said. Seuss - who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Mass., on Ma- have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries. The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion with teachers, academics and a "panel of experts," the company told AP.īooks by Dr. ![]() All six will be pulled from publication because of racist and insensitive imagery, Dr. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |