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11K views 139 replies 97 participants last post by  ancoda 
#1 ·
I don't like The Giving Tree.

There, I admitted it. People say it's a story of love, but it seems like some kind of dysfunctional relationship with a martyr to me. I just don't like it.

What children's books do you dislike?
 
#53 ·
Oh, I almost forgot the Junie B. Jones series. I loved it at first- so fun to read in a little kid voice. But I soon realized that the behaviors, attitudes and mispronounced words were a terrible influence on my 4 year old. He's many levels above that character, verbally- rarely mispronounces words and wasn't a name-caller prior to reading it.

I wanted to love the Stillwater books, too- "Zen Shorts" and "Zen Ghosts", but they are a bit nuanced still.

I would love some good humanist and Buddhist leaning books that are well-written and beautifully illustrated.

I really wish more children's books could be good role-modeling while still keeping with age appropriateness.
 
#54 ·
Can someone explain what's mainstream about Llama Llama? I mean, in a bad way?... They live in a house and not a yurt, right? And...the llama is in daycare? Not using family cloth? Maybe I haven't read enough of them. They seem pretty normal to me and I can't think of anything I found inappropriate like language usage, discipline style, racism, evil messages.

It's OK, I hate the David Smells book and the Pigeon books. And I guess I just didn't think the joke in the Pigeon book I read was funny. To each his own!
 
#55 ·
I do not like the "No, David!" books...too sad and mean.

I have no objection to "Llama, Llama, Where's Your Mama?" Yes, he goes to daycare. So do the children of lots of loving parents.

Love Dr. Seuss, many Boynton books, Tom and CeCe Bell, and a zillion others. Loved the "Little House on the Prairie" series.

No Disney here, but he gets it at MiLs. Too much violence/peril for me.

I am not a fan of "Little Critter."

Got rid of "Rainbow Fish" last week. I am all into sharing and losing conceit, but not into carving off bits of yourself to be with the "in" crowd.
 
#56 ·
The newer Berenstain Bear books. I haven't looked over the older ones for quite some time, but the flow of language in the new stories is awful! Anything Dr. Seuss drives me crazy, as does Curious George.

It's interesting that a few people here have listed the Pigeon books by Mo Willems. We love those!
 
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#58 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PacificMar View Post

Our daughter is at the board-book age (eight months)--she's fascinated by books, since my husband, our older daughter, and I read constantly, but only board books can survive her oral exploration and ripping of pages--and I'd love to see some quality literature for this age group. It seems they all have a single sentence (or even a single word) on a page, as if they're targeted at preschoolers learning word recognition and decoding, but since the littlest ones aren't even at that stage, wouldn't it be great to have simple stories parents enjoy reading aloud without cringing and babies and toddlers can munch on without destroying them?
Try the Hairy McLary books by Lynley Dodd. Many of them are published as board books and she doesn't hesitate to use words of more than one syllable :) I've never seen "bellicose" in any other children's book.
 
#60 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by McGucks View Post

I do not like the "No, David!" books...too sad and mean.

I have no objection to "Llama, Llama, Where's Your Mama?" Yes, he goes to daycare. So do the children of lots of loving parents.

Love Dr. Seuss, many Boynton books, Tom and CeCe Bell, and a zillion others. Loved the "Little House on the Prairie" series.

No Disney here, but he gets it at MiLs. Too much violence/peril for me.

I am not a fan of "Little Critter."

Got rid of "Rainbow Fish" last week. I am all into sharing and losing conceit, but not into carving off bits of yourself to be with the "in" crowd.
I don't speak for anyone else, but for me the Llama Llama books irk me not because of daycare or not co-sleeping (though that did make me put it back in the library rather than check it out for my kids, since the Red Pajama book is centered entirely around what basically equates to CIO), but rather because the ones I read (Misses Mama, Red Pajama and Mad at Mama) were extremely dismissive of children and the tone is (to me) that of *wink wink tee-hee nudge nudge parents! aren't children terrible!* I don't like parent-service I guess, it bothers me in movies, ads, and TV shows too.
 
#61 ·
Rainbow Fish is to me about sharing being a way to get friends, not giving up parts of ourselves. The Rainbow Fish is pretty rude at the start of the book - laughing at the other fish and saying "Never!" I like how he realizes that its not his scales that make him happy, but seeing happiness in others. In a world where people feel its what they have that make them happy and less emphasis on the happiness that comes from good relationships, I think its a good message especially for preschoolers who are trying to overcome the natural selfcenteredness of toddlerhood and learning to share and make friends.

I agree, I am not a huge fan of Run Away Bunny. Its kind of a stalker mom without boundaries book at first glance. But if you consider the target audience (preschoolers) its more likely that age is testing the boundaries of their parents love, not truly trying to become emancipated. Kind of like "Mama, Do You Love Me?" with the girl asking if her mama will still love her if she does this or becomes that and the answer is always yes.

The Giving Tree is a disturbing book. I have heard it read over pulpit so I think it is supposed to be some grand example of Christian love, but I much prefer some boundaries in my relationships thank you. Its like Rainbow Fish but then all the fish want his fins, and then his tail, and then his eyeballs, and he's supposed to be happy about it. I think the most telling line in the book is toward the end. "And the tree was happy...but not really."

I don't like the touch and feel animal books. Seriously? You cannot match fur or skin better than that? Makes the animals look like they have some sort of disease.

I don't like any of the baby Einstein books either. The mix of cheesy puppets and real life photography just bugs. And the rhymes are forced.
 
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#62 ·
This thread rules! Soooo funny! Just earlier I me tend my dislike for those "Where's Baby's Mama" books, you know, the Usborn ones (I think)? For no reason other than my kid always chooses it to read and the flaps are annoying and it's not a quality story. I'm hatin' for sure, but I'm pregnant and just in that kind of mood today:0
 
#63 ·
Baby Einstein books, to me, are intolerable because the art is so lousy and they never have good stories.

Any book that has sound effects is donated or goes to the resale store. I have never seen one with an actual good story. MIL gives them to our three year old, who does not seem to care about them one way or the other, and says "I know Mommy doesn't like noisy books, so she will have to hold her ears! Ha ha!" Ha ha, no.

I LOVE Mem Fox's "It's Time for Bed."
 
#65 ·
My husband would like me to add a book called "Trucks", by Bright Baby. It is a board book with a photo of a different kind of truck on each page, and beneath it names the truck (like "dump truck", "big rig", "digger", "tractor"). Our son is in love with this book currently, the digger page in particular. He will literally sit on that page for several minutes, just saying over and over "oh, big digger! digger! find 'em, digger!"

We can't wait to disappear it.
 
#67 ·
My middle son requested NO David! and loves it. I think he finds it reassuring that David is still loved in the end... however he was totally creeped out by I love you forever. He kept saying "did the mom die?" Yikes! I hate tv and movie books, and I am sick of pinkalicious too. I always want to read Robert McCloskey, but the kids aren't into it.
 
#68 ·
I really dislike The Adventurers, which is too bad because it is beautifully illustrated. Basically, every brief adventure ends with a monster coming to attack the characters and them fleeing. I understand why this is exciting for a kid, but that doesn't make it OK to put such ideas into a kid's head in the first place. Really, just a dumb book over all.
 
#69 ·
I hate the beatrix potter books. They are so unkind to the children animals.

I dont mind little critter. But I have read so many over and over and over again. But I may be swayed because DD LOVED them at age 2 and called the "the guybook". lol

I do not like Love You Forever. It is creepy. Although I like most other Robert Munch Books.

I do not like fancy nancy books. Unfortunately my DD does. I find Fancy Nancy quite annoying. I like the vocab, but not the kid. She is self-rightious.

Princess Poppy books also annoy me. No real morals or story.

I love the silliness of Dr. Suess.

I really like the Sam and Stella books.

I absolutely HATE Max and Ruby. Awful illustrations, stupid stories, repetitive, just awful.
 
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#70 ·
There are certain books (Love you forever and Giving Tree are specific examples) that are not for children, but are written for adults to remember their own children. People buy them, of course, for kids, but in terms of who wants to read it, they are books for adults. This was one of the topics in my school library administration courses. They make much more sense when you imagine a grown person reading them and remembering, than thinking of reading these books to children.

I don't mind Llama Llama red pajama (hence the name I post under), but do feel like the most recent one was not to my liking.

I really don't like The Little Engine that Could, because we've got 6 copies and can't seem to make them go away. And it's so poorly written.

I really don't like the TV character/cartoon books. The Dora books are probably a least favorite, but any in that genre are on my hit list.
 
#71 ·
I absolutely HATE Max and Ruby. Awful illustrations, stupid stories, repetitive, just awful.

Have you seen the original Max books, like Bunny Money, Max Cleans Up, Bunny Cakes, Bunny Mail, or Max's Chocolate Chicken? I ask, because the books that are written as part of the TV series are terrible. No doubt. But the ones listed, actually written by Rosemary Wells (not "based on the characters created by') are actually very good.
 
#72 ·
"Love You Forever" is so creepy. That is not a healthy mother-son relationship. I found a copy that my mother-in-law had given to my husband before we were together and I thought, "What the hell?" I was already worried that I was in trouble because he is an only child and she has been single since he was little. I suspected she might be too attached. It will come as no surprise to anyone that she does not seem to be capable of a civil relationship with me. Bottom line - if your mother-in-law likes this book, you are in for trouble!
 
#75 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamazee View Post

I don't like The Giving Tree.
That is an odd book. On the one hand, I do like how it reads and I like the simple illustrations but I agree that the message is pretty off putting. Apparently there are a lot of different interpretations of the deeper meaning of this book. Either way, loving shouldn't mean giving of yourself until you're just a stump of your former self, right?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BushMama83 View Post

I'm not a fan of Thomas' Snowsuit by Robert Munsch! My little one started his "Noooo!" phase right around the time he was gifted this book. Coincidence? I think not!
I have an 11 year old and a toddler who is just getting interested in books beyond the Baby Bug magazine she's been getting for the past year. You all are taking me back to the love/hate relationship I had with reading to my DC. For me Robert Munsch came at a time where my DC really needed that style of book. The length and interest level was PERFECT for my DC when we discovered his books. I will always have a soft spot for him because of that.

The series I remember disliking the most was the Magic Schoolbus series. It's not that I didn't like the content but I remember just hating to read all the little thought bubbles and asides. It could also have to do with the fact that DC LOVED these books and we OD'd on them a bit.

As we start to read to our toddler I am starting to dig out the boxes and boxes of books from when our older DC was young. Mariana and the Merchild may be my favorite. Charlotte's Web is the first chapter book my DC liked so I will always love that book for getting us out of picture book he!!. ;-)

Also, I give every new baby I know a copy of Red Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boyton. It's cute to read and it was the first "joke" my first DC got so I have such fond memories of her chuckling at that book.
 
#76 ·
The new "Max and Ruby" series is a wreck. The ones before the show were funny, understated, and a favorite for sure. The new ones have bunnies with the same names, and that is where the similarity ends.
 
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