If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss
The book is written in anapestic tetrameter, Seuss's usual verse type, and illustrated in Seuss's pen-and-ink style.
If I Ran the Zoo has been criticized for its use of racial stereotypes and caricatures. In a 1988 biography of Dr. Seuss, Ruth K. MacDonald notes the perceived presence of "occasional stereotypes of native peoples—potbellied, thick-lipped blacks from Africa, squinty-eyed Orientals," that "may offend some modern readers." A study published in the journal Research on Diversity in Youth Literature noted the perceived presence of dehumanizing stereotypes of East Asian, Sub-Saharan African, and Middle Eastern characters. The Canadian Book and Periodical Council's Freedom to Read project listed the book as having been challenged in 2015 for "insensitivity and ethnic stereotyping.

On March 2, 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that If I Ran the Zoo and five other books would no longer be published due to controversy surrounding reportedly racist images within those books. Dr. Seuss Enterprises did not specify which illustrations were offensive, but since the book is about animals being collected from all over the world, several nations are depicted in stereotypical ways, for example, Nepalese, Chinese, African Pygmys, Persian, Turkish, and Cossack characters.

This is a 1950 library edition (Fairifax Library), that has been well-loved, the cloth boards are well worn (see photos), the spine is a little wonky, the pages are all intact if a little grungy, the whimsical illustrations are all bright and clear and is immanently readable. First edition, second printing.
Measures: 12 x 9
 
Please review the photos; more are available upon request.
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