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It formed part of the national curriculum and was made into a show on the BBC’s CBeebies children’s TV channel. But a short story The Blue Eye has come under fire on social media. Critics say the tale is racist as characters Wilf and Biff are frightened after being magically transported to an unfamiliar land.

From illustrations it looks similar to the Middle East as they aid Princess Aisha to get the precious stone of the title in order for her to be queen.

Wilf says: “I don’t like this place. It’s scary.” And in a marketplace Biff says “people don’t seem friendly”.

Critics say it portrays the region in a bad light and is Islamophobic. One wrote: “This book is used to teach kids to read. So they also get to learn to be Islamophobic.” Another added: “I was shocked how the writer ever got away with this. So inappropriate. People were brainwashed from a young age to stay away from Muslims.”

But others suggested the characters’ fears were to be expected in a new place.

One tweeted: “They are kids in an unfamiliar place. Markets are loud and potentially frightening.”

The publisher Oxford University Press apologised and said the book for six to seven-year-olds has been taken out of print after 21 years.

A statement added: “We regularly review and make changes to our list of titles to ensure they are up-to-date, diverse, inclusive and reflective of the world we live in.”

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