Dr. Seuss’ stepdaughter Leagrey Dimond wants the author’s retired books to come back—but without the racist illustrations that caused them to be removed from circulation.
In an exclusive interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Dimond, who used to own the now-closed Thidwick Books in San Francisco, said she thinks the six books should be revised and reissued.
“No one has ever tried to hide them or dismiss them,” Dimond said. “They’re out there, and with all my heart, I wish they were not out there.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which controls the late author’s intellectual property, made headlines earlier this month when it announced it would retire six Dr. Seuss books, including And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo, because they contained illustrations of racial stereotypes. Dimond is not involved in management of the company, according to the Chronicle.
The retirement of the books has become a pet issue for right-wing activists who see it as an example of so-called “cancel culture.” Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, started selling copies of Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham—not one of the retired titles—that Cruz had autographed as a fundraiser for his upcoming reelection campaign.
Dimond said that her stepfather was not a racist, but rather a progressive who believed in equality for all.
“He was a man of his times who moved with his times, and he ultimately transcended his times,” she said. “It’s important to put him in his time, and in his time, he had regrets.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
