Children's Books I hate! - Page 3

[Dreaming]

nak
for those of you saying "love you forever" and "runaway bunny" are acceptable messages,
i think the problem isn't when the kids are little.
i think the problem comes in when we are grown and the mother is still maintaining that the adult is her "baby".
it's the root of many disfunctional relationships and MIL discord.
i think that's what a lot of people are responding to.

I know that's what *I* think of since my MIL is smothering and overbearing.
Yuck.

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by sunnysideup

The interpretations of books in these "what books do you hate" threads are always so literal. :

Someone (not lazy like me) should post links to all the previous threads. It'd be fun to see how similar they are.

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by mistymama

Most of the books listed here are some of our favorites!

Okay, I'll fess up, too.
Even if we disagree, we love to read them and it's fun to open discussions.

No-one's mentioned Walter the Farting Dog yet!

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by Dreaming

i think the problem comes in when we are grown and the mother is still maintaining that the adult is her "baby".
it's the root of many disfunctional relationships and MIL discord.

Okay, sorry, I have to learn how to use multi-quote...

I totally understand what you're saying here but it struck me how it touches upon a discussion "we" just had here about how it's never too old to need warmth and contact; ie. even as adults our parents would welcome us back to snuggle if we were sad/lonely/scared, etc.
That's my "take" on this book. How incredibly reassuring to know that in Mom's eyes, we are always beloved just as much as when we were "new."

eta: removed thread reference

[frenchie]

Originally Posted by sunnysideup

The interpretations of books in these "what books do you hate" threads are always so literal. :

agreed...any book with a "moral to the story" that I don't agree with, I just discuss it with my son.

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by Dreaming

nak
for those of you saying "love you forever" and "runaway bunny" are acceptable messages,
i think the problem isn't when the kids are little.
i think the problem comes in when we are grown and the mother is still maintaining that the adult is her "baby".

: 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. :

[hapersmion]

I can't stand the Disney books either. Those and the rest of the debased story-based-on-a-movie-based-on-another-movie books get looked at once, then they go in a pile for the next used-bookstore trip. I LOVE my used bookstore!

And I can't help but love the original Curious George, because I must have listened to the little recording amd slide projector show of it a thousand times when I was little... but when I come to the part where George smokes a pipe, I want to go get a Sharpie and draw/write something else in.

I also don't like the pop-up books by Jack Tickle. Even though my ds likes the pictures, I think books about animals should have some actual facts in them, or at least avoid giving out wrong information about the animals. We're not getting rid of those, but I keep them on the bottom shelf of the bookcase, so ds can get to them any time he wants. He likes looking at them by himself, and by the time he gets older they'll be all torn up. Two birds with one stone.

hapersmion

[candipooh]

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.

My oldest dd is very picky and we often try to get her to try new things. And 99% of the time it is something that we KNOW she would like if she just tried it. And we are 99% of the time RIGHT too. She loves that book as do we.

I like most of the book talked about on here. Except Rainbow Fish.

I think someone should start a "kids books we LOVE topic"

[Mommy Piadosa]

i have always hated rainbow fish- he has to remove body parts to conform and make friends. eek!
on professor i had swore that harry the dirty dog was racist. when the dog is black and dirty the family doesn't want him or love him, but once is is white and clean he is acceptable. i'm surprized he missed curious george.

anyone have problems w/ the stinky face series- that is the fav around here right now

[Dreaming]

Originally Posted by BusyMommy

Okay, sorry, I have to learn how to use multi-quote...

I totally understand what you're saying here but it struck me how it touches upon a discussion "we" just had here about how it's never too old to need warmth and contact; ie. even as adults our parents would welcome us back to snuggle if we were sad/lonely/scared, etc.
That's my "take" on this book. How incredibly reassuring to know that in Mom's eyes, we are always beloved just as much as when we were "new."

eta: removed thread reference

I totally see what you mean in regard to the child needing love/snuggles/reassurance and that need entering adulthood.
It's all good until you've got a toxic mother.

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. :

Again, an adult reader is going to have an adult perspective. There will always be arguments as to whether or not text should be taken literally (Christian bible anyone).
I interpret what I read. I was taught to do so in college. I'm an art major and cannot look at a painting without thinking of subject matter and content. Everything has a message, but there are many interpretations of that message.

[BusyMommy]

I loved Mama do you love me and now I cosleep w/my kids. Sorry, I'm late but couldnt' resist!

[UUMom]

My favortie story when I was little when Geoger having to have an operation to remove a puzzle piece from his stomach. I made my mother read that ome a million.

My fav part of The Runnaway Bunny is when the mom says' she'll blow him where ever". That Maragaret Wise Brown (mother of Crescent Dragonwagon, let me add) was a real sicko.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by Madre Piadosa

i have always hated rainbow fish- he has to remove body parts to conform and make friends. eek!
on professor i had swore that harry the dirty dog was racist. when the dog is black and dirty the family doesn't want him or love him, but once is is white and clean he is acceptable. i'm surprized he missed curious george.

anyone have problems w/ the stinky face series- that is the fav around here right now

I always think of the Rainbow Fish as a selfish bastard country-- like the US. Take him down a few pegs.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by Dreaming

nak
f

i think the problem comes in when we are grown

Yuck.

: Next time an adult wants you to read The Runnaway Bunny to him/her, run away. Very fast.

[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.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by BusyMommy

Someone (not lazy like me) should post links to all the previous threads. It'd be fun to see how similar they are.

yeah, I keep thinking it's the same thread bumped.

I am a sucker for pain.

I can understand not liking a particular illustration style, or the topic etc. But I would like people to understand certain literary terms, such as metaphor, symbolism, irony, and humour.

That's enough for now.

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by UUMom

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 UUMom

[Storm Bride]

Love You Forever is interesting. We don't have it, but I read it to dd at the dentist's office one day. I was reading it and thinking, "this is creepy". When we were finished, dd said, "why does the mommy have to go in the window, mommy? Doesn't she live there?"...and I stopped and thought about it - and realized that it was a very different book for dd. She says that one day, she'll have her own baby and we'll all live here. So - that book doesn't bother me, anymore.

I probably won't buy it, though - we have way too many books, and we're drowning in them.

[mistymama]

Originally Posted by Dreaming

nak
for those of you saying "love you forever" and "runaway bunny" are acceptable messages,
i think the problem isn't when the kids are little.
i think the problem comes in when we are grown and the mother is still maintaining that the adult is her "baby".
it's the root of many disfunctional relationships and MIL discord.
i think that's what a lot of people are responding to.

I know that's what *I* think of since my MIL is smothering and overbearing.
Yuck.

I think the point here is not to take it LITERALLY. We can all agree it's funny to see an old woman rocking a grown man .. that's not the point! The point is not that we should all sneak into our grown children's windows and rock them like infants! It's that no matter how big you get, no matter how far away you move .. you'll always be loved just as much by me as when you were a baby and I used to rock and sing to you. That's it, and I think it's a wonderful, sweet message.

Heck, my Mom still says we will always be her babies! Did she cut the apronstrings? Sure she did long ago! But we always have that connection, and I tell my son the same thing .. that he'll always be my baby, even when he's a big, tall man. Because it's true. Sure, you let them grow up and move on (just as he's in preschool now and has his own friends and social life .. it's a process) but he'll always be my child, my baby, forever.

I love that message. I can't understand being creeped out and taking it so literal!

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by UUMom

My kids adored Carl the Dog books.

Carl was used by his master--class system there. It's also likely he lacked his babysitters class certificate and was a boy under the age of 13.


I do have to say, though, that I have never liked the Giving Tree. Not for its Christian message or the self-sacrifice of the female tree. I just thought the "guy" was such a jerk.