Roz's Readers Room

View Original

Don’t Over-react to Criticism of Some Dr. Seuss Books

It made me sad today when I read about the action recently taken to remove numerous Dr. Seuss's books from many schools and public libraries. Don't get me wrong, it is disturbing when any group is misrepresented of poorly represented, but this is bound to happen as times change, and we evolve in our sensitivity. So many of Dr. Seuss books beautifully teach important values in a way children of all ages can understand. For example The Sneetches shows the unfairness of prejudice and how important it is to treat everyone fairly whether they are "typical" or "unique". In much the same way, The Lorax demonstrates the need to protect our glorious environment against pollution and other negative elements. I fully support the need to update any objectionable sections or illustrations, but I fear an over-reaction against Dr. Seuss books in general, which would be very sad and counter-productive. Please make sure to judge each book on its own merits and not lump them all together in rejection.