Drawing by Kurt Wiese. Photo of book cover by Bruce Forsyth.
March 2021
Now that six Dr. Seuss books, including If I Ran the Zoo and Scrambled Eggs Super!, have been banned for having racist and insensitive imagery, I guess this book from my own childhood will be banned too, if it hasn’t already.
The Five Chinese Brothers is the heartwarming story of a little boy who disobeys the explicit instructions from one of the Chinese brothers and dies. The Chinese brother is then put on trial for murder.
I love the stories and cartoons from my childhood; heartwarming stories and images that will last a lifetime. I find the contrast between the stories and cartoons from then compared to today very interesting. The cartoon Thomas the Tank Engine teaches children to cooperate, be nice to each other and to overcome their problems.
What I learnt from watching Looney Tunes cartoons is that when Elmer Fudd shoots Daffy Duck in the face with a shotgun, it blows his feathers off and his beak spins around his head.
By the way, if you are interested in buying any of the banned Dr. Seuss books, they are currently selling on Amazon for between $700 – $3184.
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937)
- McElligot’s Pool (1947)
- If I Ran the Zoo (1950)
- Scrambled Eggs Super! (1953)
- On Beyond Zebra! (1955)
- The Cat’s Quizzer (1976)
Sources: https://globalnews.ca/news/7671590/dr-seuss-books-racist.
