Written by Philp Nel, Was the Cat in the Hat Black (published in 2017) asks and answers an important question: is children's literature racist? The answer, Nel says, is a resounding "yes." But examples are more subtle than one would think. In The Cat in the Hat, for example, blackface is frequently used throughout the book. On a broader scale, though, Nel argues that many children's books perpetuate what he calls "structural racism," through the use of whitewashed colors despite efforts to include much more diversity in books. Nel does not simply examine the state of the children's book industry; he suggests ways the industry could move forward while eschewing racist ideas - no matter how subtle they are - and embracing diversity and niceties.
When it was released, Was the Cat in the Hat Black received almost universally positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews, for example, said that Nel's book is "A fascinating and necessary critical work." Another review called the book "thought-provoking and interesting" and "eloquent and powerful."
