Sales of Dr. Seuss Books Soar Online After Cancellation Controversy
Fans of Dr. Seuss are snapping up his children’s books, a day after the author’s estate announced that it would discontinue publication of six titles that contained racist and insensitive imagery.
As of Wednesday afternoon, all six books included in the announcement were sold out on sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with resellers listing the discontinued titles for up to $500 on eBay. Copies of Dr. Seuss’ If I Ran the Zoo appeared to have been briefly restocked online, though it’s now sold out as well.
In addition to If I Ran the Zoo, the six discontinued Dr. Seuss books include 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 Enterprises said it decided to remove the books from print after an internal review found the books “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong. Ceasing sales of these books,” a statement read, “is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”
While the six newly-banned titles are out of stock, the rest of the Dr. Seuss collection is still available online — and soaring in sales. Dr. Seuss books currently occupy nine of the top ten slots on Amazon’s bestsellers list, with The Cat in the Hat leading the pack, followed by Green Eggs and Ham and a special five-book “beginner box set” of Dr. Seuss favorites.
Though the author’s estate has not announced the discontinuation of any other titles, the recent news has spurred renewed interest in Dr. Seuss, with fans and collectors alike seemingly stocking up on his books while they’re still available.
Prices for the books appear to be reflecting the increased demand. While Amazon had Dr. Seuss’ hardcover books for as little as $4.99 last week, some of the most popular titles are now going for $40-50. One way to get around the pricing surge: you can still read most of the books on Dr. Seuss’ Kindle page.