Dr. Seuss’s stepdaughter says she doesn’t think her stepfather was racist, despite several titles being pulled from his collection over perceived racial insensitivity.
Lark Grey Dimond-Cate said on Tuesday that she was informed by Dr. Seuss Enterprises on Monday of their choice to stop publishing the selected books, telling the New York Post she thought it was a “wise decision.”
“I think in this day and age, it’s a wise decision,” she said. “I think this is a world that right now is in pain, and we’ve all got to be very gentle and thoughtful and kind with each other.”
SOON-TO-DISAPPEAR DR. SEUSS BOOKS NOW SELLING FOR AS HIGH AS $20K ON EBAY
Dimond-Cates defended the intentions of Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel, saying “there wasn’t a racist bone in that man’s body.”
“He was so acutely aware of the world around him and cared so much,” she said.
Dimond-Cates told the outlet that she would like to see the six pulled books, 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, return to print someday “because his body of work is unique.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced they would cease publishing the books on Tuesday, calling the way people are portrayed in the books “hurtful and wrong” in a statement.
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 decision, prices for the banned books skyrocketed, with some Dr. Seuss books fetching as much as $20,000 for a single copy on online retailers.
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Penguin Random House, the publisher of the books, did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
