Children's Books I hate! - Page 10

[momoffaith5]

[QUOTE=pixiepunk;7227623]re: green eggs and ham - the message we take away from that (and the one we discuss with DD everytime we read it) is that sometimes you think you're not going to like something just because of the way it looks, but then if you try it you might be surprised to discover that you really do like it.

yep,they are trying to encourage to try things before setting your mind against things without ever giving it a chance.

[coleslaw]

Toes It's a book that looks so innocent about a 7-toed cat named Toes. We should have seen the downfall when the book starts out with his mother dying suddenly at an early age, just a month after the kitten litter with Toes was born. The book goes on and is pretty god, except for an owner who at one book resorts to alcohol to rid himself of a problem. It ends though with Toes getting very sick, wandering back to his first owner's home, finding the grave not only of his mother, but his siblings who also died early and Toes himself dies on top of thier graves. My daughter was devestated for days! Yes, I learned my lesson to read unknown books before reading them - she made me promise.

[kamesennin]

Someone PLEASE explain to me the story of the poky little puppy--I've read it over and over and I don't understand it. Is it about being "good" or "bad"? I've been wanting to know a long time and this seems like the perfect place to ask!
Liane

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by pbandj

Someone PLEASE explain to me the story of the poky little puppy--I've read it over and over and I don't understand it. Is it about being "good" or "bad"? I've been wanting to know a long time and this seems like the perfect place to ask!

It is a peculiar story, isn't it? That's one reason I kind of like it - because it doesn't have a clear point or moral. You can't tell whether pokiness is supposed to be good, bad, or neutral. And why do the other puppies sneak out to fill in the hole? Are they trying to be good, or just trying to keep the poky little puppy from getting all the dessert? (This is the first time I've really put much thought into it, but I think actually the second explanation makes the most sense.)

Okay, having spent (or should I say wasted?) a few minutes mulling it over, I have come to the conclusion that the story isn't meant to have a moral, or teach kids any kind of lesson, except maybe that your mother will probably be able to punish you into submission sooner or later. It may be good luck or bad luck to be poky, you may get rewarded when you didn't mean to be good, and there are both advantages and disadvantages to disobedience. You just have to decide which you like more, seeing the wide, wide world or having dessert.

[Heffernhyphen]

Oh, I just remembered another one: Mrs. Wishy Washy. When I was in school for Elementary Ed, some girl did a presentation on that book. I happened to be stuck in some lab with her while she worked on it. I must have heard the words "wishy washy, wishy washy" 78 times. Oy . . . .

[octobermom]

Ohh long post haven't read past the first two yest so probably lots of contrversy but.

Green Eggs and Ham - You get pestered to do something you don't want to do until you give in. Especially when this is a message about food - You might not be hungry, or in the mood for eggs but I'm pestering you to eat them anyway. Not a good way to teach kids to stick up for themselves or to listen to their bodies about food.

Hey sorry gotta say we LOVE LOVE this book here first off the rhyme is just fun but this book also encouraged our wayyyyy wayyyy super beyond any child we have ever seen picky refusing to even atempt food DD actually try a few foods. No where is the character being forced to feed does he say no thanks I'm full but rather it addresses a very real issues many parents have the child who flat out refuses to even try a food. They are hungry but decide its the wrong shape color size smell sounds wrong whatever. And like the Character in the book my DD found out that hey she likes peaches tofu and sugar snap peas Its one of her favorite books.
Okay off the read...

[octobermom]

Okay read fun thread
Chicka chicka boom boom and in the night kitchen are two of our favorites here.

We checked out a book called Lama lama red pajamas from the liabary that made me sad. A little lama calling his mom who ingnores him to wash dishes then scolds him for being so dramatic

[knowerofnada]

Originally Posted by UUMom

My kids adored Carl the Dog books. They would crackup at the baby in the fiish tank. And how the dog could put the whole messy house back in order before the mother got up the walk.

I think that books bad because it misrepresents to children how long it actually takes to clean up food spilled all over the floor. Not to mention some children might be tempted to jump in the gold fish bowl.

I just bought that book, too, because of its awesome reviews on B&N. I'm not liking the facts that it doesn't have any words. I bought it for my one-year-old baby who actually adores books, but The illustrations aren't "colorful" enough for her one-year-old self to just be able to enjoy the pictures. Damn review said it was goof for babies her age. No. I'm sure she'll love it when she's significantly older.
















[/QUOTE]

[knowerofnada]

Originally Posted by maygee

Higglety pigglety pop is great too--

That was my most favorite (older) childhood book of all time. Absolutely fantastic (although dark) story, absolutely fantastic illustrations. I must have read it a thousand times.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I have to second the anti-Beatrix Potter comment. Bf reads those to his 4 yo and there is no way he will be reading them to our kids when they are her age. They are so violent (parents beating children with switches, etc).

We have a very dark book that we absolutely love called The Spider and the Fly. It's about a spider that tricks a fly into his web. I figure that happens all of the time in nature, so that implied violence is ok vs the capital punishment Beatrix Potter books.

I also used to really like Click Clack Moo - Cows That Type, but as a vegetarian I don't think I could read it to my kids because on real farms the cows do not get to collectively bargain with the farmer.

Even though she is spoiled and bratty, for some reason I LOVE Eloise. I'm not sure why... maybe it's just because she has a pug dog (so do I)

[smocklets]

Originally Posted by MamaDimstam

This is obviously for slightly older readers, but I cannot stand the Junie B. Jones books for all the deliberate misspellings. Dd saw one and asked why the writer made Junie so "not smart." Awful.

I completely agree! "not smart" and a brat!

[formerluddite]

Originally Posted by pinksprklybarefoot

I also used to really like Click Clack Moo - Cows That Type, but as a vegetarian I don't think I could read it to my kids because on real farms the cows do not get to collectively bargain with the farmer.

there's another book by the click clack moo author. i can't recall the title, because i gave it to the ds of the friend who gave us click clack moo. but the plot is the animals take over the farm and kick out the farmer, sounds like you'd like it!

[Momily]

A lot of books that people are mentioning, I agree with the interpretations you're giving (e.g. Ping, Bedtime for Frances, Rainbow Fish, The Giving Tree, Curious George etc . . . ) but they're part of the reason why we love the bookss they're great jumping off points for conversations in which we reinforce our family values.

One of our very favorite ones in that category is: Bored Nothing To Do by Peter Spier, where the parents leave their 2 boys alone and the boys take everything in the house apart and use it to build an airplane. When the parents come home and see their kids flying, Mom faints while Dad gets angry. They then get "a good spanking . . . and a kiss". It's great for talking about mixed up emotions and OK and not so OK ways to express them. My son knows I'd never spank him, and also that he's not allowed to build airplanes out of stuff lying around the house.

The only children's books I truly hate are the ones that are boring and pedantic (e.g. the new Berenstein Bears ones) or simply poorly written. Oh, and anything with Scooby Doo in them -- they're all the same story! My vote for "worst book ever" would have to be the Glow in the Dark Scooby Doo book (Can't remember the title). Not only is is the same darn Scooby story, but every single page you have to turn on the light, hold the book up to the light to "charge" it, turn off the light, admire the glowing monsters, etc . . . YUCK!!!!

[warriorprincess]

I don't like the Disney/Barbie books. Luckily my DD can read to herself. I'm happy to read other books to her.
I don't like innacurate books either. My big pet peeve in that area is Brontosaurus. No no noooooooo! It has officially been Apatosaurus since 1976, why are people still using Bronto?
Thirdly, potty humor. I almost think I'd rather my kids be illiterate than let Captain U in the house. (Not that that's a real danger). I've heard the "gets them reading" argument but that's one of my lines.
Most of these books I love though.

[Stinkerbell]

Originally Posted by sunnysideup

: This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's not meant to be taken literally. It's not an instruction manual. It's a story written for an audience of very young children who appreciate the message of a mother's complete and undying love. It's also funny because it is taken to the extreem. Even a 2yo knows that the grown man being rocked by his mom is funny. They do not really think you will do that, but at the same time they find it comforting to think that a mom would want to. The message deals with the common fear of preschoolers--that growing up is scary because they are seperating from mom more.

I find it really unbelievable that anyone would think "Love You Forever" and Runaway Bunny" were unacceptable messages. :

I 100% agree with you. Some people gotta lighten up before they sap all the fun right out of life. Not everything is made to be taken literally.

[straighthaircurly]

Originally Posted by clane

While I do enjoy enjoy reading some books more than others, the only ones I truly detest are the character books that play music. The only noise coming directly from a book should be the sounds of the pages turning.

OMG I sooo agree with this. And they make them so loud my ears ring. The only good thing about books like this is they eat up batteries really fast and I never replace them.

[malibusunny]

Okay...
...I don't have the curious george books where any of these things mentioned happen, but I still don't like curious george. the writing style bores me and, well, he's a monkey.

...Rainbow fish; we don't have the version mentioned earlier, but a bath book. I love the illustrations and the colours. It bothers me that no one will be friends with him unless he gives away his scales. I like that he decides to share them, because, honestly, we shouldn't hoard things that others need, but no one needs his scales, they just want him and he has to bribe people into being his friends.
...school is starting, but I will be back. I leave you with "tootles"

[spero]

Originally Posted by malibusunny

It bothers me that no one will be friends with him unless he gives away his scales. I like that he decides to share them, because, honestly, we shouldn't hoard things that others need, but no one needs his scales, they just want him and he has to bribe people into being his friends.

IMO, the reason that no one wanted to be friends with the Rainbow Fish is b/c he was stuck up and vain about his "beautiful" scales. HE didn't want to hang out with the other fish b/c he felt that he was too good for them. I don't think he had to bribe anyone to be his friend - he just discovered that he'd be awfully lonely if he wouldn't stop thinking he was better than all the "plain" fish. Only once he shared himself (physically AND emotionally) with the others could he realize the beauty of friendship.

[malibusunny]

Originally Posted by spero

IMO, the reason that no one wanted to be friends with the Rainbow Fish is b/c he was stuck up and vain about his "beautiful" scales. HE didn't want to hang out with the other fish b/c he felt that he was too good for them. I don't think he had to bribe anyone to be his friend - he just discovered that he'd be awfully lonely if he wouldn't stop thinking he was better than all the "plain" fish. Only once he shared himself (physically AND emotionally) with the others could he realize the beauty of friendship.

And this might be clear in the full story, but in the story I have, it goes like this:
1. Small blue fish asks for scale. Rainbow fish says no. Small blue fish swims away.
2. RF goes to octopus to ask for help. Octopus says give away your scales, and you will have friends.
3. RF gives away scales. Everyone is friends with him.
Concise.

[Moochie Mamma]

My mom gave me a series of Winnie the Pooh books called "Just Be Nice...". :Puke She thought they were so cute. I threw them away first chance I got.