Episode Summary

In this episode, Candace begins with a personal moment: learning, years into her career as an educator, that many of the Dr. Seuss books she loved as a child contain racist imagery and stereotypes.

Like many teachers, she grew up celebrating Read Across America with Cat in the Hat hats, green eggs and ham activities, and Dr. Seuss-themed classrooms. But once she encountered research examining racial representation in Seuss’s books, that tradition started to feel more complicated.

This episode explores what happens when nostalgia collides with new information. Why did Dr. Seuss become so closely tied to Read Across America? What does the research actually say about representation in his books? And what responsibility do educators have when the materials we’ve traditionally celebrated may carry harmful messages?

Candace and Amy examine the history of Read Across America, the research that sparked national conversations about Seuss’s work, and the developmental research showing how early children begin forming racial biases.

This is not a conversation about banning books or erasing childhood memories. It is an invitation to take a second look at how we choose the stories we center in classrooms—and what those choices communicate to children

When schools celebrate reading, whose stories are we choosing to center—and what messages do those choices send to children?

• The history of Read Across America and its connection to Dr. Seuss
• Research examining representation in Dr. Seuss’s children’s books
• The tension between nostalgia and responsibility in education
• Child development research on how early racial bias forms
• Why representation in children’s literature matters for identity and belonging
• The National Education Association’s shift away from Dr. Seuss in Read Across America programming
• Why many schools continue Seuss-themed celebrations despite that shift
• How educators can evaluate children’s books more intentionally
• Diverse authors and books that bring joy, imagination, and representation into classrooms

Ishizuka, K., & Stephens, R. (2019).The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’s Children's Books.

https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/rdyl/article/view/1525 

This study examined 50 Dr. Seuss books and more than 2,200 characters. Researchers found that only 2% of characters were people of color—and those characters were consistently portrayed through racial stereotypes.

Dr. Seuss Political Cartoons https://calisphere.org/collections/26157/

National Education Association – Read Across America https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america

Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance)Reading Diversity Tool https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Reading-Diversity-v2-Redesign-WEB-Nov2017.pdf

DIG Checklist for Inclusive Children's Media https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58595220e58c62b4ba107c65/t/59e7b0b964b05fdd650ecf7a/1508356282001/KIDMAP-DIG-CHECKLIST.pdf

Amy references several tools and frameworks educators can use to evaluate children’s books for representation, bias, and quality.

These include materials developed through a professional learning community with preservice teachers, as well as curated research and evaluation frameworks.

👉 Access the Episode Resource Hub:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NMFikM9nHMseKL9kTluh1QZHf3NiEa5B?usp=sharing 

Resources include:

• Children’s Book Evaluation Checklist• Full research list on evaluating children’s literature

Teachers: Look at the books you highlight during reading celebrations. Ask yourself: Who is represented—and who isn’t?

Parents: When reading with children, explore books that show a wide range of cultures, identities, and experiences. Representation helps children see both mirrors and windows in literature.

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