Responding to Surprised Dr. Seuss Fans

When the news hit on March 2 that the organization that oversees Dr. Seuss' body of work was going to cease publishing six of his older titles based on racist content, it took many people (including a few library staffers) by surprise. Here is what Dr. Seuss Enterprises released:

Many people have been studying and writing and talking about the content of these particular books for a long time (see our March 2, 2021 blog post for a critical citation to give you more background on this issue). 

For many, this was an important day and piece of news. Understanding the larger context of these problematic titles, there was a sense of "know better, do better" or "it's about time." 

Many library staffers are fielding questions and concerns from patrons. Is this censorship? Is it "cancel culture"? Why is this happening to books we love so much?

Early Literacy Librarian Kathryn Salo developed a helpful infographic to support you in answering these questions. The following graphic is used with her permission.

Here are links to the resources Katie lists at the bottom:

"The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books" by Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens. Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. Vol 1, Iss 2. 2019.

"The Problem With Picture Book Monkeys: Racist imagery associating simians with Black people has a long history" by Edith Campbell. School Library Journal, December 4, 2019.

Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature and the Need for Diverse Books by Philip Nel. Oxford University Press. 2017.

Anti-Racism and Dr. Seuss YSS posts

• Responding to Surprised Dr. Seuss Fans  3/3/21
• Racist Imagery and Dr. Seuss – A Note from Tessa  3/5/21
• Philip Nel’s Anti-Racism Resources  3/15/21

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20
• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20

6 Dr. Seuss Books Won't Be Published For Racist Images - Breaking News from AP News

 "Six Dr. Seuss books — including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told The Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.

The other books affected are “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”

Read the entire article HERE.

The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion, the company told AP."

While this decision may be shocking to some, the Dr. Seuss catalog has been under increasing criticism for years for racial undertones, propaganda, and harmful stereotypes.

For more information and understanding of the issues, please read "The Cat in the Hat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss' Children's Books" by Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens, featured in Research on Diversity in Youth Literature journal from St. Catherine University.

Anti-Racism and Dr. Seuss YSS posts

• Responding to Surprised Dr. Seuss Fans  3/3/21
• Racist Imagery and Dr. Seuss – A Note from Tessa  3/5/21
• Philip Nel’s Anti-Racism Resources  3/15/21

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20
• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20

Antiracist Teen/Tween Collection Development & Programming

Adrienne Almeida, MLIS

Infopeople has a free hour-long webinar coming up Wednesday July 29 at 2pm CT that will help you in your work with teens and tweens, using an antiracist lens. Adrienne Almeida is the presenter.

"Right now, we are a profession called to lead the charge for antiracist work. It’s time for listening, reflecting, and thoughtful action. If you are a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), how are you supporting the antiracist work of your white colleagues without doing all the heavy lifting on your own? If you are white, how are you holding yourself and your colleagues accountable to be transparently antiracist in your collection development and programming? Who are you listening to and learning from to improve your antiracist practice? Let’s come together to unpack resources and protocols to refresh our toolboxes and inspire our communities to be agents of positive change. Attendees will leave with a refreshed toolkit to connect their patrons and colleagues with resources required to be agents of antiracist work in their communities."

For more information and to register, please click here. 

Friday FAQ with Tessa July 10, 2020

Dear Library Staff Serving Youth, 

Happy Friday! Here is the latest installment of Friday FAQs for Youth Services. The slides used in the recording are attached as a PDF. Also, the FAQ Friday form is open for your input on next week’s episode.

                FAQ Friday 7/10/2020 recording (5:44) https://youtu.be/2PYFF8K_1Do 

FAQ Friday form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcCCH0bDIXMTpzt4WBrfmJHvP-B7Vm_B5Ide6p0byioYwh9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

Last Week’s FAQ Friday 6/26/2020 recording (5:43) https://youtu.be/dYVs3SU-Cnc 

Resources related to this week’s topics

• Helplines, Hotlines, and Virtual Meetings

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/help.htm 

• You’ve Got This (7:00)
  A pandemic pep talk by Leah Langby from the IFLS Library System about reopening your library.https://vimeo.com/436149146  

• Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk Series

https://socialjusticebooks.org/freedom-reads/

Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk is part anti-bias training, part book review. Each short segment explores anti-bias books for home and the classroom with the goal to strengthen parents’ and teachers’ anti-bias, anti-racism lens and their ability to critically analyze children’s media.

• Study: Sesame Street Materials Help Families Affected by Incarceration

https://centerhealthyminds.org/news/sesame-workshop-materials-help-families-affected-by-incarcerationA new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison finds that families affected by parental incarceration benefited from resources that Sesame Workshop developed to support them, especially when following the materials’ recommendation that the children be given honest, developmentally appropriate explanations of their fathers' incarceration. 

• Coping With Incarceration: Sesame Street Materials 

https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/incarceration/

The incarceration of a loved one can be overwhelming for both children and caregivers. Because of the feeling of stigma, it takes special effort to start important conversations and answer kids’ questions. But parents can comfort children and guide them through difficult moments just by talking. With love and support, the family can cope with the challenges of incarceration together.

• Annual Report Summer Programming Update
  https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/annual-report-summer-programming-update

The Wisconsin public library annual report is currently being evaluated through the lens of the pandemic. There will be updates to the programming stats (especially virtual), and many other areas as well. In the meantime, continue to keep track of what you are doing, who you are reaching, and how you know and communicate your outreach successes to the library board and municipal leaders. 

• Ryan Dowd’s Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness training gives you more confidence working with patrons struggling with homelessness, mental illness or substance abuse; help your library remain an inclusive library, able to serve everyone; provide tools to achieve fewer problems and less conflict in your library. You must contact your Library System CE Consultant for login info.

Have a safe and restful weekend,

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Public Library Consultant – Youth and Inclusive Services

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Division for Libraries and Technology

(608) 267-5077

Friday FAQs with Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

• 6/18/21 recording

• 5/14/21 recording
• 4/9/21 recording
• 3/12/21 recording
• 2/12/21 recording
• 1/15/21 recording
• 12/11/20 recording
• 11/13/20 recording
• 10/9/20 recording
• 9/11/20 recording
• 8/14/20 recording
• 7/31/20 recording
• 7/17/20 recording
• 7/10/20 recording
• 6/26/20 recording
• 6/19/20 recording
• 6/11/20 recording
• 6/5/20 recording
• 5/29/20 recording
• 5/22/20 recording
• 5/15/20 recording
• 5/8/20 recording
• 5/1/20 recording
• 4/24/20 recording
• 4/17/20 recording
• 4/10/20 recording