The mayor of Dr. Seuss‘ hometown is firing back at a Massachusetts school librarian who called the author’s books “racist” and “cliche” in rejecting a donation of them from Melania Trump.
To celebrate “National Read a Book Day,” the first lady sent out a collection of Dr. Seuss books to one school in each state across the U.S. The books included, The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
After the donation, the Massachusetts school librarian wrote a lengthy editorial for the Horn Book’s Family Reading blog explaining why her school does not need the books.
“You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature,” Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote. “Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
WATCH: Melania Trump reads Dr. Seuss story to children at New York City hospital
The mayor of Springfield, Mass., (where Dr. Seuss was born) said on Thursday that the comments of Phipps Soeiro were “political correctness at its worst.”
He said if Cambridge doesn’t want the books, Springfield will take them.
Sarno also praised the first lady and invited her and U.S. President Donald Trump to visit the Dr. Seuss museum in his town.
The Cambridge school system distanced itself from Soeiro’s opinions.
*With files from Global News
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