Dr. Seuss unpublished sketches will be edited by ‘inclusive group from diverse racial backgrounds’
Dr. Seuss gets woke-washed: Author’s unpublished books and sketches will be edited by ‘inclusive group from diverse racial backgrounds’ before being released after six of his titles were cancelled for being ‘racist’
Unpublished Dr. Seuss sketches will be featured in new books by an ‘inclusive’ group from ‘diverse racial backgrounds,’ the company announced WednesdayIt comes a year after Dr. Seuss Enterprises said it was ceasing publication of six titles for including racist images Dr. Seuss Enterprises has not released the names of any of the authors or artists working on the project and it is not clear how they were selectedThe White House included Dr. Seuss in this year’s ‘Read Across America’ celebration after President Joe Biden omitted him last year
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A series of characters from unpublished Dr. Seuss works will be featured in an upcoming line of books written and illustrated by an ‘inclusive’ panel of writers and artists from ‘diverse racial backgrounds,’ the company responsible for the author’s legacy announced on Wednesday.
The announcement – made on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday – comes exactly a year after Dr. Seuss Enterprises stirred controversy when it revealed it was ceasing publication of six titles for including racist images.
The new authors and illustrators will ‘represent a diverse cross-section of racial backgrounds to represent as many families as possible,’ said Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which was founded by the family of Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, and manages his archives at the University of California San Diego.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises has not released the names of any of the authors or artists working on the project and it is not clear how they were selected. Requests for comment from DailyMail.com were not immediately answered.
Unpublished Dr. Seuss works will be edited by an ‘inclusive’ panel of writers and artists from ‘diverse racial backgrounds,’ the company announced Wednesday
The new authors and illustrators will ‘represent a diverse cross-section of racial backgrounds to represent as many families as possible,’ said Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Above is one of the sketches, showing a four-legged animal with humongous ears
Dr. Seuss Enterprises has not released the names of any of the authors or artists working on the project and it is not clear how they were selected. Above is another sketch, showing three multi-colored hummingbirds
The first two titles in the new line of books, dubbed Seuss Studios, will be released in 2023 and published by Random House Children’s Books. Like Dr. Seuss’s other works, they will be geared towards readers aged 4 to 8.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in a statement that it would announce additional details about the project later this year.
‘We look forward to putting the spotlight on a new generation of talent who we know will bring their unique voices and style to the page, while also drawing inspiration from the creativity and imagination of Dr. Seuss,’ Susan Brandt, the president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said in a statement.
Among the characters included is a small four-legged animal with humongous ears and a group of three multi-colored hummingbirds.
‘The original Dr. Seuss sketch that serves as the inspiration for each of the new Seuss Studios books will be included in the book, along with a note from the creators explaining how they were inspired, and their process,’ the San Diego-based company said.
The move to give unpublished Dr. Seuss sketches a woke rework comes a year after the company announced it would no longer print the following six books: ‘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’.
It came just one day after President Biden omitted Dr. Seuss from Read Across America Day, which is held annually on the children’s author’s birthday on March 2.
This image appears in the 1937 book ‘And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street’, which shows an illustration of a ‘Chinaman who eats with sticks’ – a caricatured picture of an Asian man with slits for eyes carrying a bowl of rice
‘If I Ran the Zoo’, which was published in 1950, includes a drawing of two bare-footed African men wearing what appear to be grass skirts with their hair tied above their heads
Biden broke presidential tradition when he left out any mention of Dr. Seuss during his proclamation on Monday. Both former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump have recognized Dr. Seuss’ contributions several times in their proclamations each year.
This year, however, the White House included the legendary author again, announcing that the ‘path to literacy’ for young readers ‘begins with timeless traditions: being read to at bedtime, gathering in classrooms for story time, and attending events at local libraries with family and friends.’
‘Children’s classics such as Dr. Seuss’ ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Have inspired a passion for reading and endless creativity that spans generations,’ the White House’s proclamation said Tuesday.
Explaining last year’s decision to stop the publication of the six books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises said: ‘These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.’
In ‘And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,’ an Asian person is portrayed wearing a conical hat, holding chopsticks, and eating from a bowl. ‘If I Ran the Zoo’ includes a drawing of two bare-footed African men wearing what appear to be grass skirts with their hair tied above their heads.
‘We look forward to putting the spotlight on a new generation of talent who we know will bring their unique voices and style to the page,’ Susan Brandt, the president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said in a statement
The White House included Dr. Seuss in this year’s ‘Read Across America’ celebration after President Joe Biden omitted him last year
There has been increasing criticism in recent years over the way blacks, Asians and others are drawn in some of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s most beloved children’s books, as well as in his earlier advertising and propaganda illustrations
‘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 said.
The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made two years ago after months of discussion, the company said.
‘Dr. Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.’
Random House Children Books, Dr. Seuss’ publisher, issued a brief statement on the matter last year: ‘We respect the decision of Dr. Seuss Enterprises and the work of the panel that reviewed this content last year, and their recommendation.’
Dr. Suess, who was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts, began his career in 1927 as an illustrator for magazines like Vanity Fair and Life and a political cartoonist for New York publication PM.
He wrote his first children’s book, ‘And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street’ – which was one of his canceled publications, in 1937.
During World War II, he took a brief hiatus from children’s literature to create political cartoons condemning Nazi Germany and worked in the animation and film department of the United States Army.
Dr. Seuss founded the Beginner Books imprint at Random House in 1957, publishing ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ that same year.
Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump have all mentioned Dr. Seuss in conjunction with Read Across America Day, which is designed to encourage school children to read more. The Obamas are pictured in April 2010
In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 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.’
Dr. Seuss earned about $35 million in 2021 and was named the fifth-highest paid dead celebrity of the year by Forbes, with Roald Dahl as number one, followed by Prince, Michael Jackson and Charles Schulz. He was number two on the list in 2020, earning $33 million that year, preceded by Michael Jackson.
His books have been translated into dozens of languages, as well as in Braille, and are sold in more than 100 countries.
The National Education Association, which launched Read Across America Day in 1998 and made Dr. Seuss the face of the celebration, has for several years steered away from the author and encouraged a more diverse reading list for children.
School districts across the country have also moved away from Dr. Seuss, prompting Loudoun County, Virginia, schools just outside Washington, D.C., to douse rumors last month that they were banning the books entirely.
‘Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,’ the school district said in a statement.
In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 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.’
In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, removed a mural that included an Asian stereotype.
