Dr. Seuss’s family members disagree on whether to pull problematic books from sale

Like much of America, Dr. Seuss’s stepdaughters have differing opinions on the decision to stop selling six of his most controversial books.

On what would have been Dr. Seuss’s 117^th birthday, the organization that preserves and protects the author’s legacy announced they would no longer sell six books because of racist imagery.

The books in question are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” said Dr. Seuss Enterprises in a statement.

[For more on the decision, read our previous coverage of this story here.]

The announcement has been met with strong reactions, both from parents and educators who applaud the decision and from those who condemn it as censorship.

Dr. Seuss’s two stepdaughters have each offered their thoughts on the decision and, like the rest of America, are of differing opinions.

Leagrey Dimond does not believe the books should have been discontinued from sale. She told TMZ that she believes a disclaimer should have been added to the books instead.

While she acknowledges that while some of Dr. Seuss’s early work contains racist imagery, Dimond believes her stepfather’s legacy should be judged on his entire collection of work.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Leagrey’s sister, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, says that pulling the titles was “a wise decision,” and she insists that her stepfather was not racist.

“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 in an interview with the New York Post.

“I think in this day and age, it’s a wise decision,” she continued. “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.”

Sales for Dr. Seuss books are soaring right now.

Nine of both Amazon‘s and Barnes and Noble‘s top 10 best-seller lists are Dr. Seuss titles, including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh, The Places You’ll Go.

The sales are being driven by shoppers on both sides of the issue. People who support the decision are buying less controversial Dr. Seuss books in a show of support for Dr. Seuss Enterprises. And there are people who are snapping up Dr. Seuss’s books to help the famed author avoid ‘cancel culture.’

Ultimately, it’s up to parents to decide what is appropriate for their children. If you’re a Dr. Seuss fan, mama, then go ahead and pick up the books that make your heart soar.

If you’d rather spend your money on other titles, we support that, too. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite children’s books here, here and here.