Dr. Seuss is one of the most famous children’s authors of all time. Very few, if any, Americans who grew up in the last few decades are unfamiliar with “Green Eggs and Ham,” “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” and “Horton Hears a Who” among many other wonderful stories. Dr. Seuss had a fantastic knack of language that seemed musical, appealing to children of all ages.
So, one might have thought that First Lady Melania Trump was on safe ground by gifting a school library in each state of the Union a box set of Dr. Seuss books. She did not figure on Liz Phipps Soeiro, the School Librarian of Cambridgeport Elementary School in Massachusetts.
She rejected the books, claiming that they constituted “racist propaganda.”
Dr. Seuss was racist? Who knew?
Soerio sent a snarky letter back to Ms. Trump rejecting the books, claiming that “Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.” She cited what appeared to be a couple of academic studies that suggested that this was the case.
One problem with the rejection
However, it seems that Soerio created a problem for herself by rejecting the books in so public a manner. She lacked the power to do so. The school district determines what books are included in school libraries and which are not. Soerio is said to have been “counseled” as to the school policy and the use of school resources for political advocacy.
The Obamas liked Dr. Seuss as well
Ms. Soerio has another problem concerning her public rejection of the books as “racist.” Dr. Seuss is a favorite of none other than Barack and Michelle Obama. The former president pronounced “Green Eggs and Ham” to be an American classic. This evaluation is perhaps one of the few things in which Obama agrees with Sen.
Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who famously read the book to his young daughters during a Senate filibuster.
One last thing that is even more embarrassing
Hot Air reports that a photo from 2015 has surfaced of what appears to be Ms. Soerio cosplaying the Cat in the Hat in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. She tweeted that the kindergarten and first graders celebrated with a green egg breakfast.
The question arises, what happened between 2015 and 2017? Did Ms. Soerio become “woke” after reading academic studies that claim that the books are racist? That scenario is a possibility. One other theory is that the rejection of the books was a middle finger extended to Melania Trump because of the man she is married to. In any case, Liz Phipps Soeiro has gotten her 15 minutes of fame in the worst possible way.
