Dr. Seuss’s work has been shown to be highly problematic, particularly the stereotyping and dehumanizing of people of color. If you have small children or follow issues in children’s literature, none of this is new to you — or I’m hoping it’s not. If you haven’t been following this issue, this article is a good place to start and brings up some good questions and points to explore. But despite the research and conversations year after year, none of that has stopped countless schools and preschools from making the day and week a Seuss-filled spectacle (and more pointedly, never talking about or acknowledging the problems in his work — if his books are read, let’s have these conversations, too). But in the interest of purposefully following the theme of the day/week — celebrating diverse readers — here are some picture books to read instead of Dr. Seuss that actually reflect the NEA’s mission of celebrating a nation of diverse readers.
