-Ellsworth Public Library Director Tiffany Meyer

Local libraries consider what to do about Dr. Seuss

Special to The Journal

I wonder how my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Holdorf, would have responded if she was told “no Green Eggs and Ham” for you.

While the iconic early reader remains on the list of Dr. Seuss books, others have been cut from production.

Recent Associated Press articles and CNN reports have noted that six of Dr. Seuss’ books “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong” and will no longer be published, according to Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

As one who promotes reading at even the earliest ages, I was surprised. So I checked my copy of And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, one of the books cited for the offensive and hurtful portrayal. A Chinese character with a hat is running in an imaginary parade carrying a bowl and chop sticks.

Now, the books of offense are available on E-Bay for thousands of dollars. The books that some feel should be shunned are now sought after.

Superintendent of the Prescott School District, Dr. Rick Spicuzza, says Dr. Seuss was a “marvelous talent” providing children and adults an opportunity to engage with his creative art and use of words.

“It is not uncommon for books to be challenged,” he said. “It has to be put to some degree in historical context.”

And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street was copy written in 1937, a time period when global travel and cultural integration were less common.

“We don’t want to paint with a broad brush,” said Spicuzza. “We will at least look into it and at least have a discussion.

The Prescott district policy for books that come into question is that they stay on the shelves. But there is an avenue for review on the school website offering the public an opportunity to submit a letter requesting a review. Further details are posted there.

Spring Valley Public Library Director, Katie Schneider concurs with her fellow librarians in that it is not their job as librarians to pull the Dr. Seuss books from their readership.

“As librarians we cannot tell people what they can and cannot read,” said Schneider.

Ellsworth Public Library Director, Tiffany Meyer, highlights the positive aspects of Dr. Seuss’s creative contributions.

“His colorful illustrations, inventive vocabulary, and tongue-twisting phrases can still make a reader literally laugh out loud,” she said.

“Some of his books have stood the test of time. Some have not.”

The Ellsworth Public library recently completed an assessment of its library service, including space, programs, policies and collections to determine where its strengths and challenges were. They are continuing to look at their services to include accurate, respectful and current information about different groups.

There are 37 copies of And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street shared among 50 libraries in the MORE system and waiting lists for check out. McElligot’s Pool has a waiting list too. Before the recent surge, it had not been checked out since March 22, 2019.

Public schools are reviewing their actions if any.

“The recent decision by the family of Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) to cease publishing six of his nearly 50 children’s books has sparked a nation-wide awareness of some of the content,” wrote John E. Groh, Principal of Ellsworth Elementary School. “This is something that we will review as well._ For generations, Dr. Seuss’s books have helped engage and encourage countless students of the district to read._ As we end this national “Read Across America Week”, Ellsworth Elementary staff are focused on ensuring students fall in love with reading; a skill that will open the door to recreation, careers, communication, and critical thinking.”__ President of Dr. Seuss Enterprise, Susan Brandt, addressed the responsibility of keeping the legacy of Dr. Seuss alive. In the Sept. 2019 article for ForbesWomen Brandt shares what she understood as a premise of Ted Geisel.

“Art is what the artist sees.”

And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street is one of six Dr. Seuss books that will no longer be published.