Awful, awful children's books - Page 14

[malyita]

Originally Posted by Greenmama13

I have a problem too with some "children's" movies. My son gets really scared watching alot of videos. We don't let him watch alot of TV, mostly PBS and videos. My mother gave me some Disney videos, Aladin, the little mermaid, all of those videos have some really scary parts for toddlers. My son burst into tears during one (which of course we won't watch again).
I just feel like - what were they thinking?

They were thinking they were making movies for elementary school children, not toddlers.

One of the most interesting things I learned in Home Ec in middle school (we all were required a trimester a year for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade) was during the childcare unit in 8th grade. We went through a bunch of children's books and talked about what ages they were best for. It had never occurred to me before that it wasn't as simple as "if it has pictures it's good for kids who can't read chapter books." I think this is *especially* true for movies. It sounds like a lot of the kids books people are taking offense to (beyond for the simply shoddy workmanship of TV character books and the whole Boynton chaos) may be because people are looking at books for older children and deciding that yes, they are inappropriate for toddlers.

[momileigh]

Originally Posted by malyita

They were thinking they were making movies for elementary school children, not toddlers.

:

Maybe Greenmama means what was her mom thinking for giving it to her?

[soonerorlater]

Originally Posted by zipworth

I can't believe no one has mentioned "The Rainbow Fish"????What is wrong with you people ???

This is what this book says to me:

You can't have anything specail about you. People won't like you. If you want people to like you, take pieces of yourself and give them away. When we are all the same everyone will get along.

I remember thinking it looked like a cute book until I read it to a group of preschoolers, and there was no positive message I could get from it. None.

This EXACTLY, plus everything that's already been said about I Love You Forever. Blech.

[Thalia the Muse]

I also feel like all too often, "scary" is assumed to be "bad." But the experience of being frightened by a story or a movie can be another safe way of working out alarming feelings. Some things about real life ARE scary, but we have to find a way to accomodate those truths. Scary fiction can help us do that.

Plus, I've always liked being creeped out, and even as a kid devoured all the ghost stories and such that I could get my hands on -- the type of stuff that parents always seem to want to ban from the school library. If they'd had Goosebumps when I was a kid, I would have been ALL OVER that action!

[mojomom]

Originally Posted by sofiabugmom

I remember reading one of the older Curious George books, thankfully before I read it to DD, and after Curious George had made a mistake, he "wished he was dead".

Not a message I want to give to my kid, thanks.

Another one that had a negative impact on DD was "When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry." It's supposed to be about how a little girl handles anger. Here's the problem: She runs. "She runs and runs until she can't run any more."

So you know what DD does when she's angry or makes a big mistake? She runs, no matter where we are. Public park, museum, beach, you name it. It's an ongoing, embarrassing battle that I have to fight to keep her from taking off. I wish I'd never read her that book.

I do not like Curious George. He NEVER listens, but always manages to get out of it. Not a good message IMO.I actually have one of dh's old Curious george books. The story is about george going to a hospital. He gets into a bottle of Ether and they illustrate him getting high. Needless to say it is safely tucked away in our trunk.

[DaughterOfKali]

I don't like Curious George either.

I've never mentioned that to my son but even he has a problem with George. My son will run out of the room when George is does something he's not supposed to. It makes ds nervous.

[LotusBirthMama]

We read a lot here, and the kids each have big book collections of there own. I will let DS1 read anything he picks out ( he is obsessed with any book about hunting or the woods) and I will read anything to DD that she chooses. Right now that is Roald Dahl (over and over and over...).

The only books I loathe reading, and I know its been said, are Sandra Boynton books. They just irritate me. As far as any awful-for-their-content books, I've never come across one.

[WeasleyMum]

Originally Posted by LotusBirthMama

We read a lot here, and the kids each have big book collections of there own. I will let DS1 read anything he picks out ( he is obsessed with any book about hunting or the woods) and I will read anything to DD that she chooses. Right now that is Roald Dahl (over and over and over...).

The only books I loathe reading, and I know its been said, are Sandra Boynton books. They just irritate me. As far as any awful-for-their-content books, I've never come across one.

Oh, I LOVE Sandra Boynton! My husband and I have a few (Snuggle Puppy, Love Is...) And we don't even have kids yet...

[momileigh]

Originally Posted by WeasleyMum

Oh, I LOVE Sandra Boynton! My husband and I have a few (Snuggle Puppy, Love Is...) And we don't even have kids yet...

We have both of those too! I sing Snuggle Puppy to my girls. (Not so much the older one now, she has kind of outgrown it.) It was the first book (I think) that they memorized and would then sing to themselves or their animals. So cute! "Everything about you is especially fine!"

You also might want to check out "Personal Penguin." I sing that one to the girls too. I made up my own jazzy tune for it. So funny. "Look at these wings, so perfect to hold you..."

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by momileigh

We have both of those too! I sing Snuggle Puppy to my girls. (Not so much the older one now, she has kind of outgrown it.) It was the first book (I think) that they memorized and would then sing to themselves or their animals. So cute! "Everything about you is especially fine!"

You also might want to check out "Personal Penguin." I sing that one to the girls too. I made up my own jazzy tune for it. So funny. "Look at these wings, so perfect to hold you..."

Have you gotten Philadelphia Chickens, yet? Snuggle Puppy is one of the tunes.
And I think there is an MP3 of Personal Pinguin sung by Davey Jones.

[momileigh]

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove

Have you gotten Philadelphia Chickens, yet? Snuggle Puppy is one of the tunes.
And I think there is an MP3 of Personal Pinguin sung by Davey Jones.

No, I don't have it... the truth is, I have avoided it because I'm kind of attached to my own original tunes, and I think I would be disappointed hearing the "real thing." And I don't want my older dd to start telling me that I'm singing it "wrong" because it doesn't sound like the cd.

Maybe someday.

[kapatasana]

Originally Posted by mojomom

I do not like Curious George. He NEVER listens, but always manages to get out of it. Not a good message IMO.I actually have one of dh's old Curious george books. The story is about george going to a hospital. He gets into a bottle of Ether and they illustrate him getting high. Needless to say it is safely tucked away in our trunk.

Wow. I'm finding myself fascinated with Curious George now after reading this thread. Crazy.

[felix23]

Originally Posted by LotusBirthMama

We read a lot here, and the kids each have big book collections of there own. I will let DS1 read anything he picks out ( he is obsessed with any book about hunting or the woods) and I will read anything to DD that she chooses. Right now that is Roald Dahl (over and over and over...).

The only books I loathe reading, and I know its been said, are Sandra Boynton books. They just irritate me. As far as any awful-for-their-content books, I've never come across one.

I can't stand Moo, Baa, La La or whatever the name is. I'm not really picky about books exept when it comes to books I hate reading. Most of Sandra Boynton's books fall into that category. If dd insist on checking one out from the library, I make dh read it because they drive me nuts.

[Stinkerbell]

I have loved Boynton for ages. When my boys were very little, Boynton books were perfect for keeping them interested enough to learn to love books in general.

The worst book I can think of that I came across is a book about a dog with breath that is so horrible the parents tell the kids they are getting rid of the dog in the morning, despite the children's crying and pleading That night, burglars break into the house (!!) and are knocked over dead by the dog's breath, so the parents change their minds.

oy. that's all I can say.

[Stinkerbell]

Originally Posted by mojomom

I do not like Curious George. He NEVER listens, but always manages to get out of it. Not a good message IMO.I actually have one of dh's old Curious george books. The story is about george going to a hospital. He gets into a bottle of Ether and they illustrate him getting high. Needless to say it is safely tucked away in our trunk.

wait, so you're saying I CANT get away with harey-carey just because I'm adorable? Wha-wha-what??

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by bellacymom

Walter the Farting Dog
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wal...9780525472179/

We have that book. I bought it.



Ya know, I find books about pooping and farting to be useful because it might help kids be less embarrassed about pooping and farting.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by abimommy

Ya know, I find books about pooping and farting to be useful because it might help kids be less embarrassed about pooping and farting.

Are kids embarrassed about pooping and farting? Mine seem to think it's a super special talent they must share with the world.

[mraven721]

I love so many of the disliked books. what a fun thread!

I don't like the 'when dinosaurs....' books. they act totally obnoxious!

[Bunnybee]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Are kids embarrassed about pooping and farting? Mine seem to think it's a super special talent they must share with the world.

Oh yeah, my DD is not shy about announcing "I toot!" LOL

[JSerene]

Originally Posted by mojomom

I do not like Curious George. He NEVER listens, but always manages to get out of it. Not a good message IMO.I actually have one of dh's old Curious george books. The story is about george going to a hospital. He gets into a bottle of Ether and they illustrate him getting high. Needless to say it is safely tucked away in our trunk.

I really dislike it when the man in the yellow had tells George not to be too curious. I always change that line when I read it.

The stories based on the cartoon are terrible. All the new stories written by misc. authors are also terrible.

Whenever George gets into trouble, my dd always wonders aloud why the man with the yellow hat doesn't tell him the rules. It's not George's fault, he only knows the rules of the jungle .

Anyway, we actually learned to like these books since it has inspired so much fun play in our dd. She LOVED it when George gets into ether, go figure.