Dr. Seuss’ books seem more popular than ever amid controversy over a small selection of titles that will no longer be sold because they were considered “insensitive and racist images”.
Copies of the most popular books by the author of the beloved children were virtually flying out of the warehouses of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, with their most popular books making up 9 of the top 10 sellers on both companies’ lists on Thursday night.
“The Cat in The Hat”, “Oh, The Places You Go” and “Green Eggs and Ham”, three of Seuss’ best-known works, were all sold out on Amazon, but still available at a higher price at Barnes and the Noble’s website on Thursday night.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, who preserves the author’s legacy, this week announced six books – “And think I saw it on Mulberry Street”, “If I ran the zoo”, “McElligot’s Pool”, “On Beyond Zebra!,” ” Super Scrambled Eggs! ” And “The Cat’s Quizzer” – would no longer be in print.
6 DR. SEUSS BOOKS TO STOP BEING PUBLISHED BECAUSE OF RACIST IMAGES
“These books portray people in ways that are harmful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told the Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday on March 2.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure that the Dr. Seuss Enterprises catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” he said.
Used copies of books now out of print were being quoted by independent sellers on Amazon for hundreds of dollars.
A seller had priced a “good” hardcover copy of “The Cat’s Quizzer” at $ 900.
The online marketplace eBay Inc. said it was working to avoid reselling the six out-of-print books, although hundreds of advertisements were still on the site on Thursday. Many of the listings referred to books being “banned”.
One list was offering four of the books for $ 2,000.
DR. SEUSS BOOKS CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM EBAY
Examples of problematic designs include an Asian wearing a conical hat and holding chopsticks “And to think I saw Mulberry Street” and two barefoot African men wearing what look like grass skirts with their hair up over their heads in “If I administered the Zoo”.
The National Education Association, which hosts “Read Across America Day”, once partnered with Dr. Seuss Enterprises for the literary promotion event that arrives on his birthday, but recently became “independent of any book, publisher or character specific “for the need to disclose several books, according to your site.
Seuss’s stepdaughter, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, told the New York Post this week: “There was not a racist bone in that man’s body – he was so aware of the world around him and he cared a lot.”
Lark Gray Dimond-Cates said he understood Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ decision and said that people need to be “very kind, thoughtful and kind to each other” because of the “painful times” we live in.
President Biden sparked some controversy related to Seuss over conservatives when he did not utter the author’s name in his proclamation “Read Across America” - a break with his two immediate predecessors.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden’s statement was written by the NEA.
Seuss remains extremely popular, earning about $ 33 million before tax in 2020, compared to just $ 9.5 million five years ago, the company said. Forbes listed him as second among the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2020, behind only the late pop star Michael Jackson.
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Within hours of Tuesday’s announcement, Dr. Seuss’s books occupied more than half of the top 20 spots on Amazon.com’s bestseller list. “Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” were on the list, along with “Oh, the Places You Go!”, “Green Eggs and Ham” and others still in publication.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.