Dr. Seuss Unseen Sketches Will Inspire New Book Line After Editing By Inclusive Writers And Artists

Dr. Seuss, the children’s book author who was a major supplier of content for television and film through such characters as The Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, and Horton Hears a Who, will be making a comeback of sorts in a new line of books.

Seuss, whose sterotypical depictions of certain racial groups raised some hackles in 2021 and led to his books being yanked from being published, will have new unseen sketches in the fortchoming line. The pictures will serve as the inspiration for new stories.

The books will be published by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the company founded by the family of Theodor Seuss Geisel, the author’s real name. Leaving nothing to chance after the previous book banning, the new works will be written, drawn and edited by what’s described as a group of writers and artists from “diverse racial backgrounds.”

The details on who is involved have not been revealed as of yet. The books will be part of a new Seuss Studios series aimed at readers 4 to 8. The first titles will be out next year.

“We look forward to putting the spotlight on a new generation of talent who we know will bring their unique voices and style to the page, while also drawing inspiration from the creativity and imagination of Dr. Seuss,” said a statement. from Susan Brandt, the president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

“The original Dr. Seuss sketch that serves as the inspiration for each of the new Seuss Studios books will be included in the book, along with a note from the creators explaining how they were inspired, and their process,” she added.

The announcement comes a year after Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced six of his books would no longer be published for their racial depictions.

The titles were: “If I Ran the Zoo,” “And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.’’

Dr. Seuss’s books had been under fire for some time before that by woke observers, who believed they were not diverse in their presentations. A 2019 report claimed some of the books “feature animal or non-human characters that transmit Orientalist, anti-Black, and White supremacist messaging through allegories and symbolism.”