Today is "Read Across America Day," an annual event aimed at encouraging interest in reading. It's traditionally tied to March 2nd being Dr. Seuss' birthday. The famed author would have been 117 this year.
Some programs are starting to move away from a focus on the works of Seuss, real name Theodore Geisel, over a desire to include more books and concerns over some racial overtones in some of Geisel's books.
The company in charge of Dr. Seuss's estate says it will no longer publish six books due to racist and insensitive content in a statement they said, "these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong. Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment."
The 6 books are:
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
If I Ran The Zoo
McElligot's Pool
On Beyond Zebra
The Cat's Quizzer
Dr. Seuss Enterprises says it's taking the step following a review of all the author's works by a panel of experts last year.
Some of the books used stereotypes to portray Asian, Black and Jewish people. Most of Seuss's characters were white and in some cases showed white people dominating other races.
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