Psaki won’t say why Dr. Seuss was dropped from Biden reading proclamation

White House press secretary Jen Psaki wouldn’t say why President Biden dropped Dr. Seuss from "Read Across America Day," the annual celebration of reading in honor of the legendary children’s author.

While Biden followed presidential tradition in proclaiming "Read Across America Day" on Tuesday, March 2, Dr. Seuss’ birthday, he bucked his predecessors by leaving out any mention of Dr. Seuss from the proclamation.

When asked during the White House press briefing Tuesday why the president left out Dr. Seuss, Psaki punted to the Department of Education.

"The proclamation was written by the Department of Education, and you could certainly speak to them about more specifics about the drafting of it," Psaki said. "But read Across America Day, which is, you're right, has not existed forever, has only been around for a short period of time, elevates and celebrates a love of reading among our nation's youngest leaders."

Psaki said, "The day is also a chance to celebrate diverse authors whose work and lived experience reflect the diversity of our country, and that's certainly what they what they attempted to do or hope to do this year."

"And as we celebrate the love of reading uplift diverse and representative authors, it is especially important that we ensure all children can see themselves represented and celebrated, celebrated in the books that they read," Psaki continued.

Psaki was asked whether the decision had to do with the controversy surrounding a lack of diversity in Dr. Seuss books, to which she replied: "Again, I think it is important that children of of all backgrounds see themselves in the children's books that they read."

"But I would point you to the Department of Education for any more details on the writing of the proclamation," Psaki said.

The decision comes after former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump both highlighted Dr. Seuss' contributions in their annual proclamations, a Fox News review of White House archives found.

"The works of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to us as Dr. Seuss, have sparked a love for reading in generations of students.," Obama said in his 2015 proclamation. "His whimsical wordplay and curious characters inspire children to dream big and remind readers of all ages that 'a person's a person no matter how small.'"

Obama's 2016 proclamation described Seuss as "one of America's revered wordsmiths" who "used his incredible talent to instill in his most impressionable readers universal values we all hold dear."

Trump, in his 2018 proclamation, urged Americans 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 ... (Read more)

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