‘Woke era is sickening!’ Joe Biden sparks fury as he ‘cancels’ children’s author Dr Seuss

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The Democrat’s failure to mention Dr Seuss comes after Virginia’s largest school district reportedly scrapped the inclusion of the author from its celebration of the day aimed at encouraging children to read more. Critics have branded President Biden’s move “ridiculous” and “a joke” while supporters said it was needed.

Dr Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, wrote and illustrated more than 60 books and also drew political caricatures.

In recent years, his reputation has been called into question over racist pictures in his books.

One image showing a “Chinaman who eats with sticks” depicts an Asian man with a bowl of rice.

And one of his political cartoons created in 1929 shows black people for sale in front of white buyers.

Joe Biden has been criticised for ‘cancelling’ Dr Seuss (Image: GETTY)

Barack Obama praised Dr Seuss when he was president (Image: GETTY)

The caption for the image includes the N-word.

Dr Seuss been famed for Read Across America Day which has been celebrated on his birthday by schools for more than 20 years.

Mr Biden broke with White House tradition by refusing to mention the author in his proclamation.

Former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump both included Dr Seuss in their annual celebrations.

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Children listen to a story by Dr Seuss in Nevada (Image: GETTY)

Critics hit out at Mr Biden’s latest move, with some blaming it on “cancel culture”.

One person tweeted: “Another ridiculous decision.

“Dr Seuss, author of “The Cat in the Hat” will be cancelled. Who will be next?”

A second said: “Cancel culture is a joke, this whole “woke” era is sickening.”

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Melania Trump reads a story to children (Image: GETTY)

And yet a third wrote: “It’s ridiculous at this stage.

“It’s like cancelling books from the 1800s due to racism or sexism but they were different times just let history be.

“I don’t understand how humans can’t make their own individual decisions anymore.

“If you don’t want to read a book, don’t.”

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On Sunday, Loudoun County Public Schools, the biggest school district in Virginia, removed Dr Seuss from its Read Across America Day celebrations, according to reports.

The body cited racial “undertones” in the author’s work.

The White House has not clarified why the president didn’t mention Dr Seuss in his proclamation.

In 2017 the Trump administration celebrated Read Across America Day when the then-first lady Melania Trump read Dr Seuss books to children at a hospital.

Some of Dr Seuss’ work has been called into question (Image: GETTY)

At the time, she praised the author for having “brought so much joy, laughter and enchantment into children’s lives all around the globe for generations”.

And the following year, the then-president Mr Trump urged youngsters across the US to “always remember the still-vibrant words of Dr Seuss: ‘You have brains in your head.

“You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.'”

In 2014 former president Obama praised Dr Seuss’ stories which he said “call us to open our minds, to take responsibility for ourselves and our planet.”