Contributed by Marilyn Bennett
Are you reading Dr Seuss to your children?
Do you realize that in the book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, a character described as Chinese has only lines for eyes, carries a bowl of rice and chopsticks and is wearing traditional Japanese-style shoes? However, it must be noted that the book was written in 1937 when people were not aware that they should be sensitive to images that show a person in a stereotypical way.
In 1961, Dr. Seuss wrote The Sneetches, as the Civil Rights Movement was well underway. He wrote The Sneetches as a parable about equality. By using bird-beings, he transcended the pitfalls of using people and allowed all readers to relate to the characters and learn to treat everyone equally.
“The Sneetches got really quite smart on that day. The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches. And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches. That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars and whether they had one, or not, upon thars.” Dr. Suess, The Sneetches.
But the book that has caused the most controversy and is being banned by woke libraries is If I Ran the Zoo. In this book, two men from Africa are portrayed as shirtless, shoeless and wearing grass skirts. Since the idea of the book was to portray people from around the world with their unusual animals, it did include many other ethnic stereotypes.
The “Woke Crowd” is coming for anything that they deem offensive to anyone. The problem, as I see it is that the amount of things that can “trigger” a person is astronomical. Everyone who has ever ventured out into the real world knows that the “safe spaces” are few and far between.
I believe that Dr. Seuss books are valuable for young readers, because they are fun, they help children to read and also the books have some great life lessons. What I really like about the Dr. Seuss books is they stress individuality and being proud of who you are.
Some of my favorite quotes are:
“A person's a person, no matter how small.” Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who!
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr Suess, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut.
“You're off to Great Places! Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!” Dr Seuss, Oh the Places You'll Go!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss, The Lorax.
Seuss' body of work, as a whole, encourages personal growth, shared values, tolerance, compassion and kindness towards others. These are great lessons for us to teach our children. Also, because the books are such fun with their rhyming phrases, made-up words and funny illustrations. Most kids love them.
After all, the Whos are a species of small people who come in all sizes and colors. They live in Whoville, which is a very cheerful place to live as everyone gets along and has lots of fun.
The book about the zoo that caused the most controversy is likely a tribute to a child's imagination. It ends with a reminder that all of the extraordinary creatures exist only in the head of a young boy called Gerald McGrew. The improvements he made to the zoo were both wondrous, ridiculous and impossible. Featuring everything from a lion with ten feet to a Fizza-ma-Wizza-ma-Dill,
That being said, I don't think banning books is ever a good idea. If there is something objectionable in a book it could be turned into a teaching point. Children should be exposed to many different ideas so they can learn that in life there is good and bad, and we are guaranteed by our constitution the right to pursue happiness but not a guarantee that we will always be happy.
I thought that growing up with Dr. Seuss was a good thing and banning one of his books will only tend to give more attention to that book. It has been my experience that young people love nothing better than to read a book that has been banned. So, parents and teachers and library folk - just sit back, relax and trust that young children need room to expand their minds in creative ways. These books help children enjoy reading and teaches them to imagine many good and fun things.
In the words of Dr Seuss:
”Look at me! Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun. But you have to know how.” Dr Seuss, The Cat In The Hat.