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One of the comic book spinoffs from Captain Underpants franchise has been pulled from distribution.

Scholastic announced that they have stopped distribution of “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future”, because of the “passive” racist stereotypes and imagery of Asians.

The graphic novel was published in 2010 and centers on Ook and Gluk, two “cavekids” from the fictional town of Caveland in 500,001 B.C. After they get transported to the future and discover an evil corporation is stealing natural resources from their town, they befriend a martial arts instructor named Master Wong, who trains them in kung fu and ultimately helps them save the day.

“Together, we recognize that this book perpetuates passive racism,” Scholastic said in a statement. “We are deeply sorry for this serious mistake.”

The publishing house is also seeking a return of all inventory, adding that it was informing retail partners, schools and libraries, and have taken the material off their websites and catalog.

Dav Pilkey, the author, made a formal apology in a YouTube video about the content.

“About ten years ago I created a book about a group of friends who save the world using Kung Fu and the principles found in Chinese philosophy. ‘The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future’ was intended to showcase diversity, equality, and non-violent conflict resolution,” he said. “I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly apologize for this. It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends, and family, and to all Asian people.”

Dav and wife, Sayuri, will be donating his advances and royalties that he received from the book to several non-profit organizations, including ones that fight anti-Asian racism and violence and promote diversity in children’s books and publishing.

The decision to pull the “Captain Underpants” comic book comes just weeks after six Dr. Seuss books were pulled for racist imagery.

Six Dr. Seuss books are no longer being published.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises will no longer publish And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo and McElligot’s Pool among other titles after confirming that the images include “hurtful and wrong” character portrayals, Deadline reported Tuesday (March 2).

The announcement was made on Dr. Seuss Enterprises website, following recent scrutiny for past racist and insensitive imagery.

“Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship,” the statement reads.

On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer are among the other titles being halted.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong. Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” they announced.

The books have garnered criticism in the past already, including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, first published in 1937, which includes a stereotypical depiction of a Chinese man, while If I Ran the Zoo, first published in 1950, was criticized for caricatures of grass-skirted Africans and Asians with the description “eyes all a slant.”

School districts are also reconsidering emphasizing Dr. Seuss books in their curriculums right now. Find out more about it.

Click inside to see the full statement…More Here! »

A school district in Virginia isn’t banning Dr. Seuss books for Reading Across America day, as previously reported. They’re just not emphasizing them after research into to the author’s past political cartoons.

“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” Loudoun County Public Schools said in its statement, via CNN.

The school district revealed examples of racial undertones in his books, which include “anti-Japanese American political cartoons and cartoons depicting African Americans for sale captioned with offensive language.”

“Given this research, and LCPS’ focus on equity and culturally responsive instruction, LCPS provided this guidance to schools during the past couple of years to not connect Read Across America Day exclusively with Dr. Seuss’ birthday,” the statement concluded.

Reading Across America was established in 1998 and emphasized the importance of imagination and reading among young people. The day has long been tied to Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2.

Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodore Geisel, has a long history of publishing racist and anti-Semitic work before his children’s books became popular.

“The Cat’s Quizzer: Are YOU Smarter Than the Cat in the Hat?” and “If I Ran the Zoo” are two of his books that feature racism and have been part of studies in education.

The Virginia school system added to their statement that while Dr. Seuss’s books are still available in their libraries, his “books are no longer the emphasis of Read Across America Day in Loudoun County Public Schools.”

“We continue to encourage our young readers to read all types of books that are inclusive, diverse and reflective of our student community, not simply celebrate Dr. Seuss,” they added.

Reading Across America 2021 takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2.

Click inside to see how fans are reacting to the Dr. Seuss news…More Here! »

Halsey is publishing her first collection of poetry!

The 25-year-old “Without Me” singer made the exciting announcement on social media on Thursday (June 25).

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Halsey

“I wrote a few thousand sentences but am somehow struggling to string together a single one to summarize how excited I am about this. “I Would Leave Me If I Could.”, my first collection of poetry, is available for pre-order now. http://iwouldleavemeificould.com” she wrote on Twitter.

Here’s a summary, via Barnes & Noble: “In this debut collection, Halsey bares her soul. Bringing the same artistry found in her lyrics, Halsey’s poems delve into the highs and lows of doomed relationships, family ties, sexuality, and mental illness. More hand grenades than confessions, these autobiographical poems explore and dismantle conventional notions of what it means to be a feminist in search of power.”

Halsey has been actively engaged in the protests nationwide against systemic racism and police brutality, and recently explained the important reason she doesn’t use this word in discussing Black injustice.

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There’s a brand new book coming all about Dwayne Johnson that will give fans an inside look to his private life.

The upcoming book is filled with photographs from the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actor’s life taken by former brother-in-law, producing partner, and longtime pal, Hiram Garcia.

“I wanted to create something for DJ that would serve as a trip down memory lane. Then, upon looking at everything holistically, I realized there was a story here that other people might enjoy too,” Hiram shared with People. “I’m honored to give a glimpse – from my perspective – into the life of a brother, friend and colleague who is admired and beloved by so many around the world.”

“The Rock: Through the Lens: His Life, His Movies, His World” is set to be released on September 8.

Check out the cover in the gallery below!

Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson‘s books are selling big!

Both Carrie‘s book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Find Your Soul and Jessica‘s book, Open Book, are within the Top 50 list of bestselling books from all publishers according to NPD BookScan, via TMZ on Thursday (April 2).

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Jessica Simpson

Book sales are up in general amid the ongoing pandemic. Carrie‘s book is in at No. 5 with over 10,700 copies sold, while Jessica‘s follows closely after at No. 8 with over 8,200 copies sold.

Bible sales are also up 55% in March compared to 2019, with many purchases coming from online, according to Tyndale House Publishers.

Find out what celebrities are doing while social distancing at home!

Just two months ago, the world mourned the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, and today, we can celebrate his life a little with the release of his brand new novel, “The Wizenard Series: Season One”.

The late basketball star teamed up with writer Wesley King to bring his vision to life in the second novel of the book series.

The newest book continues the story and readers are introduced to Reggie, who has never felt destined for greatness. He dreams about basketball brilliance day and night, but the hard truth is that he’s a benchwarmer for the West Bottom Badgers — the worst team in the league.

Even their mysterious coach, Rolabi Wizenard, can’t seem to help them end their losing streak.

Reggie is willing to train tirelessly to improve his game, but even the gym seems to be working against him in magical ways. Before Reggie can become the player he dreams of being, he must survive the extraordinary trials of practice.

“What I had was an idea and I knew where I wanted the characters to go,” Kobe shared with USA Today in one of his final interviews about the book. “I know where they should start, and I know where they should end by the time this series is over.”

He added, “…I had an idea, but I knew that they could make it a thousand times better. So it was just kind of sitting back, sharing these ideas and just figuring it out.”

You can pick up “The Wizenard Series: Season One” on bookshelves now.

See how Kobe‘s wife Vanessa celebrated the release on Instagram below: