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Professor Cheryl Cowdy from York University was interviewed on CTV: “is Dr. Seuss Too Political?” because a grade-one teacher was actually banned from displaying a quote from Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle! (I LOVE that book.) The quote was: “I know up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here on the bottom, we too should have rights.”
What a great quote, eh? I love how Dr Seuss often put positive-action thinking into his books, encouraging readers to treat each other equally (think The Sneetches with their stars on bellies and stars not on bellies). And I don’t understand people who try to stop kids from reading about things that can help! Or just reading, period. Book banning makes no sense to me.
But something Professor Cheryl Cowdy said in her interview resonated with me. She said she thinks children’s books are often banned because people think kids aren’t capable of thinking for themselves. That makes sense to me. People are afraid, and want their children to think the same way they do. But children have the right to make their own minds up.
Check out the video interview for more!