Fresno State Library
If I Ran the Zoo
Warning Sensitive Topics
Story Summary: If Gerald McGrew ran the zoo, he'd let all the animals go and fill it with more unusual beasts--a ten-footed lion, an Elephant-Cat, a Mulligatawny, a Tufted Mazurka, and others.
If I Ran the Zoo was written by Dr. Suess and published in 1950. The book is criticized for representing a wide range of cultures in a negative light through both illustrations and text. Its characters are dehumanized through physical descriptions of them as zoo animals; some phrases include “a mulligatawny is fine for my zoo, and so is a chieftain, I’ll bring one back too,” and “with helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant.”
Dr. Suess’ books have been the subject of debate for some time now. In 2021, the business that preserves Dr. Suess’ legacy announced that six of the author’s books will no longer be published due to racist imagery, a move which started a conversation about the value of classic books in a world of diverse readers. Dr. Suess Enterprises later released a statement affirming that the books “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
Further, a survey was completed in 2019 which found that just 2% of human characters in Suess’ works were people of color — 98% being white (Ishizuka & Stephens, 2019).. Portrayal of and references to Black characters relied heavily on anti-Blackness and images of white superiority (Ishizuka & Stephens, 2019).
Alternative Book Choices
Of all the kids in Violet’s class, only one leaves her speechless: Mira, the girl with the cheery laugh who races like the wind. If only they could adventure together! But every time Violet tries to tell Mira how she feels, Violet goes shy. As Valentine's Day approaches, Violet is determined to tell Mira just how special she is.
As morning dawns, the zookeeper makes his rounds, exhorting animals to wake up, comb their hair, and stand up straight. When human visitors arrive, the observations begin to flow: “My, what silly things they do, all these creatures at the zoo. Walking on all kinds of feet, dancing to an inner beat. Babies riding on their backs, on their bellies, snug in sacks. Hear the silly sounds they speak, as they howl and squawk and shriek!” But just who is talking about whom? With a clever twist and a new, sturdy board book format, this book will have even the youngest children begging for a trip to the zoo.
When farmers and pumpkin patch owners donate their pumpkins to the zoo, the animals chomp, chew, play, and give hearty hoorays for their favorite squishy squash! Grab a pumpkin and follow along as this lighthearted, lyrical zoo book for preschoolers and elementary-age kids from bestselling novelist Susan Meissner celebrates the fall season in the most entertaining way. Here come the wagons down the streets, rumbling and tumbling with pumpkin treats!
Reflections and Other Materials
We encourage you to explore our other Critical Literacy Resources .