Dr. Seuss’s stepdaughter defended the decision to pull several of her stepfather’s books from publication over perceived racial insensitivity, even though he “didn’t have a racist bone” in his body.
Lark Grey Dimond–Cate said she was informed by Dr. Seuss Enterprises on Monday that several of the beloved children’s author’s lesser-known books would no longer be published or sold. The decision did not upset her, she said.
The canceled books were: 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.
“I think in this day and age, it’s a wise decision,” Dimond–Cate explained to the New York Post.
“I think this is a world that, right now, is in pain,” she continued, “and we’ve all got to be very gentle and thoughtful and kind with each other.”
Dimond–Cates defended her stepfather’s intentions. “There wasn’t a racist bone in that man’s body,” she said. “He was so acutely aware of the world around him and cared so much.”
Eventually, Dimond–Cates said she’d like to see the six pulled books return to print “because his body of work is unique.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced on Tuesday that they would cease publishing the books because of the “hurtful and wrong” way people are portrayed in the stories.
The company said the “ceasing of sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprise’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”
In the wake of the company’s decision, prices for the banned books skyrocketed, with some Dr. Seuss books fetching as much as $20,000 for a single copy on Ebay.
On Amazon, Scrambled Eggs Super! was listed as a bestseller, and used sellers are going for more than $900 for their copies.
The other titles ranged between $700 to nearly $1,000 for a used copy.
