NINE Dr Seuss books are currently among Amazon's famous top 10 best-seller list after a number of the American author's books were withdrawn from shelves due to supposed 'racist' illustrations.
The works of the famous children's writer have come under the microscope this week after Dr Suess Enterprises, the company that manages the author's legacy, announced they were going to withdraw six of his books which contained problematic imagery.
The company stressed that it was committed to its "mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion and friendship," and that they'd no longer be publishing the following books: 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," the company's statement added.
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Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship.
We are committed to action.— Dr. Seuss (@DrSeuss) March 2, 2021
The news has divided opinion. Some have welcomed the company's progressive decision, arguing that, like any organisation, they're simply choosing to modernise and improve themselves.
Others see it as anther completely unnecessary overreaction to the external pressures of woke-ism, and further evidence of 'cancel culture'.
As such, supporters of Dr Seuss's books have been busy, and have leaped on Amazon to purchase the controversial material in bulk.
And now, just a few days after the announcement to drop six Dr Seuss' books, nine of them are in the top 10 Amazon best-sellers list.
Moreover, 24 Dr Seuss books now make up the top 30.
#DrSeuss quote if the day. These were my favorite books as a child. pic.twitter.com/YD6Lr2n0Kh
— Emily (@emilydaisyl) March 3, 2021
Those who have pushed his works to the top say they're doing so because Dr Seuss books are "classics" and shouldn't be suppressed simply because a small number of people in the 21st century have found some minor problem with them.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, an American children’s author, wrote under the pen name Dr Seuss before his death in 1991, creating and illustrating an oeuvre of more than 60 books that include beloved classics like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.