# Children's Books I hate!



## g&a (Dec 15, 2004)

OK, I LOVE kids books, but some of them have storylines I don't agree with.

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.

Curious George - ok, I've only read the one book, but they tricked and kidnapped a monkey. Need I say more. They also threw the man with the yellow hat out on the street because he had a pet (out on the street seems harsh). They threw the monkey in jail becasue he called a wrong number - the fire dept. (also harsh punishment).

Heros - There might be more to the title. It's Sesame Street. Man jumps out of car "My wife is having a baby" (see tired, meek looking woman in background) (next page) doctor: "Congratulations, sir, you have twins!" "wa wa" coming from another room. Man looks relieved. I don't like it because the woman is not even part of the birth story. Birth is portrayed as a medical emergency.

anyone have any others?? I could go on forever!


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

rainbow fish.

the other fish pressure the rainbow fish into sharing his scales.
i don't appreciate the entitlement angle at all.
honestly, why *should* the rainbow fish remove the scales he was born with and give them away just to make the other fish happy?
why can't the other fish just be content with their own scales?

talk about political indoctorination.
went right into the trash at our house.


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## AuntNi (Feb 26, 2003)

Love You Forever. The big guy in his mother's lap just creeps me out.


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

: The mom in I love you forever needs to cut the apron strings and let her son grow up. I really hate that book, it is just creepy.


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## g&a (Dec 15, 2004)

So what do you do with the books you hate?? They usually get "lost" behind dd's bed







. I don't want to give them away (so other kids get these messages), or throw them away (a hang-up I have about books), so I hide them. I suppose the good-mom thing to do would be to talk about the story with dd, and discuss the messages. Maybe now that she's getting older that would be appropriate.

While I am ranting (and off topic), there's this commercial on TV that makes me want to yell. A guy and girl are sitting on a park bench. He is eating something, and offers her some. She thinks in her head that she followed her diet that morning, but skipped her workout etc. and decided that it was ok (ie. she deserved, like the food was a reward for being good) to have a snack. My question is WHY DIDN'T SHE THINK ABOUT IF SHE WAS HUNGRY OR NOT???????? Oh, that makes me so fuming mad.







:

g.


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## Terabith (Mar 10, 2006)

Julius by that guy who wrote Danny and the Dinosaur. THey are in Africa (cue picture of stereotypical looking natives) looking for a gorilla for the circus. All the other animals are jealous. Gorilla begs to go with them and talks about how much he loves the circus. That one went back to the library right away.

I agree with you about Green Eggs and Ham and the first Curious George. (Although my dd loves Curious George. I refuse to read her the first one, although someone gave it to her on audiobook.) Rainbow Fish is annoying, too, for same reason.

Runaway Bunny. "If you turn into a boat, I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go." Talk about uber controlling. Eek!


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## P-chan (Jan 23, 2004)

Curious George, for reasons stated above.
The Little Engine that Could (original version by Watty Piper). So, so dull. Plus, what's the deal with all the "good little boys and girls." Don't the mean ones deserve toys and good food to eat too? Maybe it's their diets that's making them so nasty.
The books that have famous artists' paintings for illustratins (In the Garden with Van Gogh, for example...Sharing with Renoir is another). The rhymes are forced and hard to read.


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## water (May 15, 2003)

The Giving Tree

The (female) tree gives EVERYTHING, including her entire body (thus life) to the man, who still isn't happy (it's not enough for him). And then he SITS ON HER at the end, and she is happy.

Gag. I read this again as an adult and was like, omg, my kids are not reading this!


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## milkamama (May 14, 2005)

i'm with ya on the love you forever...i am creeped out by it and dh changes the words...ds was asking for it a lot...gift from gram.

i never thought of the giving tree like that...

i love this.


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## jrcronewillis (Jul 29, 2006)

Yep, THE GIVING TREE is a big one for me. I remember reading it as a child and wondering how I was supposed to feel about the characters. I would not choose that one for my son--there are so many, better options to teach generosity, kindness and (reasonable) selflessness!

Juliette


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

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







:


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

"The Not So Wicked Step Mother" I bought this book when I was meeting my BF's 10 year old daughter for the first time, just to see what was out there. I got if from Amazon, so I didn't know the content beforehand.

It stunk. The daughters were very mean to the first 2 girls that the dad dated, and talked badly of one GF because she wanted to kiss the dad. Then the dad meets the "right" girl who is apparently a nun and has no interest in kissing the dad.

It lived under my couch for a while, and then went out to the recycling bin.

Thankfully, my BF's daughter liked me right away (although she didn't like to see us kiss







), and even suggested that "we could go to the high school track and I could ride my bike and you guys could hold hands and talk" as one of our first group dates together.


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

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.

the vast majority of sibling preparation books make me nuts. between the "mommy's going to leave to go to the hospital" and "daddy's going to give the baby a bottle" and pictures of cribs, bouncy seats, disposible diapers and the like i was appalled to find that there were only like two books i found on the subject that i could even modify for my DD.









we mostly get books from the library to test drive them before we consider buying, and i'm a nut and usually tell my family what books to buy so they don't end up with a bunch of duplicate titles or images i don't like, so we don't have any in our house that i have issues with.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

I don't _hate_ it, but _Is Your Mama a Llama?_ annoys me, mostly because of the kangaroo illustrations. The mama kangaroo's legs and feet are drawn all wrong.

A book I hated so much I got rid of it was _Mortimer_ by Robert Munsch. Nothing but unpleasantness all the way through.

I think it's weird how many people think the mother in _Runaway Bunny_ is too controlling. (It's been mentioned before in threads like this.) It's about a _little_ bunny, not a bunny who's grown up and ready to get his own apartment. If you were a little kid thinking about running away, would you want your mom to just shrug and say, "Okay, bye, it was nice knowing you?" If your 3 year old did run away, wouldn't you search the world and do whatever it took to find her again?


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## boatbaby (Aug 30, 2004)

There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla


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## northcountrymamma (Feb 24, 2006)

there are many kids books that irk me...
but we _usually_ read them anyways and then talk about what irks me about them. If I stopped reading all the books I didn't like we'd run out of selection. Like pixie, we use the library so we can sample new ones from time to time.

We do however have a pile of disney books that folks endlessly give to us. I talked with dd about it and expained what I liked and didn't like in a good book and we decided that there might be some families that would like them and we should get them together and pass them on. She got it and even helped pick a few out that weren't quite something we were into.

Funny side note - she put a book in this pile the other day because the little girl was eating sugar too much. she thought she should read something where kids were eating healthy food (unless it was someone's birthday!)









And I love green eggs and ham...always have!


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## gwen's mom (Aug 1, 2003)

I have a BA and an MS in English education so it is very hard for me to say that I "hate" any book but one of the worst we have come across for our DD has been _Goldie is Mad_ by Margie Palatini. Here is the review I left on Amazon...

Quote:

This book was in an "emotions themed" pack sold by Scholastic. The other two books, Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day and The Way I Feel were great. Goldie is Mad however will not be read a second time in our home simply because the girl in this story can not navigate her anger in any other way but to say that she "hates" her little brother. I know that my preschooler has used this word in the past however when the issue came up we discussed how we should not "hate" anyone or anything and thus she needed to find a new way to express her frustration. When reading this book for the first time we came to the page which states that "Veronica hates baby spit. I hate baby spit. I hate Nicholas!," my preschooler gasped and said "That is not a nice way to talk about your brother, is it Mom?" Simply stated, we will not be keeping a book in our house which endorses the concept of hate.
I have a very hard time parting with books, even the bad ones, however this one went straight into the trash.


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## g&a (Dec 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla

I don't understand the appeal of Goodnight Moon either, but toddlers LOVE LOVE LOVE it, so it stays in our house. Sometimes it doesn't have to make sense to be a good book.

g.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Anything published by Disney. Alas, SILs (two of them, one on each side) are REALLY into them. We have dozens of debased Winnie the Pooh stories, that, alas, Dd loves. They've taken the Pooh characters, trivialized them, put them into these sickeningly sweet stories that always have a "proper moral" at the end.









I may teach dd to read just so that I don't have to read these books!'

I agree about Curious George -- I got the original out of the library because my kids got some of the more modern ones for Christmas. I was stunned at my reaction -- I just kept thinking "But he's an endangered species! And you (the Man with the Yellow Hat) STOLE him from the jungle. Bad man. It is NOT nicer to live in the Zoo." We're not going to buy the original. The more modern ones aren't so bad.

And there are a dozen and one truck books that I hate. Mostly because the writing is sooo bad. They don't even bother to try to make a coherent description.

As to the appeal of some books:
*Goodnight Moon* -- very repetitive and soothing.

*Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom* -- has great rhythm and is actually a good 'musical' book. And it makes my kids laugh.

*Moo-Baa-La-La* -- makes my kids laugh. It's not my favorite Boynton book by far, but if you give it good vocals, it's not bad.

*Goodnight Gorilla* - makes ME smile. I don't know why, but I LIKE this story. I just love the pictures of all those animals following the zookeeper.


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## JBaxter (May 1, 2005)

The one book that I dislike ( not because Ive had to read it OVER & OVER that catagory of dislike is different) is the Usborn touchy-feely book "That's not my tractor" Is " squashy" a word? Nathan chewed the binding so Ihave an excuse to toss the darn thing


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

I got around the Curious George thing by teaching my children that the man in the yellow hat is a poacher. Poachers are not doing good things.

I can not stand Good Night Gorilla. My kids loved it when they were little. I would rather pull my finger nails off then read that book.

Love you Forever. I just love that one. My ds thinks it cool that mom loves her son so much she is willing to break into the house rather then use the house key that he is sure the son must have given her.


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

I thought of another one I hate - No David. I read it to my class of 5 year olds once and their response was "Why doesn't the mommie say anything but No?" I see no point to this book and also didn't like this illustrations.
Oh, for some reason I remember disliking Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, but I can't remember why.


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## box_of_rain (Mar 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *felix23* 
I thought of another one I hate - No David. I read it to my class of 5 year olds once and their response was "Why doesn't the mommie say anything but No?" I see no point to this book and also didn't like this illustrations.
Oh, for some reason I remember disliking Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, but I can't remember why.









Ah yes! The NO David books! I always felt weird reading those! It just felt wrong to be saying NO like that, over and over again...Of course, they were my son's favorites for awhile.


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## fiddledebi (Nov 20, 2003)

I can't stand Olivia! She's so annoying and --while I hate the word, I'll use it -- bratty. I worked for the organization that gives children's book awards, and knocking Olivia there was like saying you don't believe in apple pie or grandmothers, but yuck. I don't like her.

I also think the Giving Tree was a martyr and bad example. Feh.

One that surprised me and that I was sad to put away was Rhinoceros Tap by Sandra Boynton. It's a book of songs that comes with a CD. We had another book like this by her called Philadelphia Chickens, and it was great, but this one has the most AWFUL song on it called, of all things: "Bad Babies." The lyrics include such lines as "they whine and they bite...they make the most terrible noise." Nice. I really want my older daughter singing that with her new baby sister in the house...NOT.


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## zipworth (Jun 26, 2002)

I just can't get the message of 'The Giving Tree' or 'The Rainbow Fish'. Nothing good comes to mind anyway...


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## Thalia the Muse (Jun 22, 2006)

I _love_ No, David. I think sometimes kids do feel like all they hear is "no."


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla

I love Goodnight Moon! It's simple and soothing, but with enough slightly quirky or unexpected bits to make it interesting. How can anyone not love "Goodnight nobody?"

The sound and rhythm are the appeal in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's really fun to read aloud.

Something about the illustrations in Goodnight Gorilla really appealed to my DD when she was little, so I can see why it's popular. (It's more interesting once you know to look for the balloon on every page.)


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## Katerz2u (Jul 14, 2006)

I HATE HATE HATE, the Winne the Pooh goes to the Doctor book. Christopher Robin takes him for an annual check up and at the end Pooh gets a shot to keep him healthy so he doesnt get mumps and measles (bumps and weasles as Pooh says or something..)Anyways, it annoys the heck outta me!


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## RainCoastMama (Oct 13, 2004)

Goodnight Moon...ugh! Why is this considered mandatory reading to your kids? (Well, not mandatory, but everyone seems to have a copy). It doesn't totally rhyme, and I find the illustrations creepy...but that's just me


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## MamaDimstam (Sep 9, 2005)

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.


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

I can't believe anyone could dislike Is Your Mama a Llama? We love that book!

I think Curious George is creepy, creepy too. First he's abducted,they put him in a zoo, they make him wash windows for his food, and then they send him off into space all alone. And he spend time in jail. Poor monkey. I do think he's cute, though, and we liked the movie okay.
Mostly I hate boring baby books. We just don't read them. The little guy gets to hear whatever my 4 yr. old is into.


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## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

i totally agree about rainbow fish, love you forever and giving tree. bleh. and the rainbow fish author did one about wasteful mice destroying their island to dig up glowing rocks. message pounded home with a sledgehammer.

any dizney. dh bought a stack of diz golden books, to indoctrinate the kids in all those movies of kidnapped/orphaned kids (lion king, bambi, dumbo, hercules, sleeping beauty...). the kids know "mama doesn't read disney books." the prose is leaden, the plots boring, even the ones where the movie was ok.

goodnight moon grew on me; we find the mouse on every page (he roams around, eats the mush, looks out the window...) and the clocks go from 7 to 8 o'clock.

love the detail in the drawings in mouse/cookie and pig/pancake books. the mouse to school, pig/party and moose ones seemed a little tired, though ("if you give an author a contract, she'll probably milk it for way too long"...). the illustrator (?felicia bond?) also did big red barn, and tumble bumble, another 2 favorites.

i love GE&H. the expressions on all the people floating in the water (after the car/train/boat crash) as they wait to see if he'll like it! and when dr. seuss died in the early 80s, saturday night live had rev. jesse jackson read it on the weekend update skit. he did it with full preacher/politician flourish. it was hysterical.

i hate the endless assortment of bedtime books that have babies/kids contentedly drifting off alone in their cribs with their bottles and bears. i like the boynton bed books because all the animals get in together.

and amelia bedelia: stupid is not that funny to me.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnysideup* 
The interpretations of books in these "what books do you hate" threads are always so _literal_.







:

I know. It frightens me. Seriously, it does.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hottmama* 
I can't believe anyone could dislike Is Your Mama a Llama? We love that book!

But look at that kangaroo! She's got an extra bend in her front legs, and her feet look like hooves! If you were getting paid to draw a kangaroo, wouldn't you at least look at a picture of an actual kangaroo for reference? The seals are weird, too. And I think the words are a bit awkward. And then (just to nitpick it to death







), there's that unnecessary comma in "I understand, now."

I do actually think it's kind of cute, and all the mamas and babies are sweet, but it annoys me too much for me to really enjoy it.


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

We have a Rainbow Fish bath book and it's about the fish swishing and swimming together. Sounds like it's really different from the regular version!

I have issues with Where the Wild Things Are. What a mean mom. Starves the kid because he was boisterous and sassy? And can't even be bothered to come and apologise later, just sticks a plate of food in his room?







:


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paquerette* 
We have a Rainbow Fish bath book and it's about the fish swishing and swimming together. Sounds like it's really different from the regular version!

I have issues with Where the Wild Things Are. What a mean mom. Starves the kid because he was boisterous and sassy? And can't even be bothered to come and apologise later, just sticks a plate of food in his room?







:

You aren't serious, are you?

Are you?


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## BennyPai (Jul 22, 2005)

"Love You Forever" also creeps me out, but my dd loves the song.
We have discussed the sneaking into the house with a ladder part, however. We "lose" it on occasion. We have been given 3 copies, so this is easier said than done.


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## aeiouys (Sep 6, 2006)

Cat in the Hat - Can't stand this book! Partly because I had to read it over and over when ds1 was younger and partly because that cat is just so stinking rude! Sure he helps them clean up at the end, but he made the mess in the first place, agaisnt the children's wishes!


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BennyPai* 
"Love You Forever" also creeps me out, but my dd loves the song.
We have discussed the sneaking into the house with a ladder part, however. We "lose" it on occasion.

Come on people! It's not meant to be taken literally. Small children find the idea that mom will always want to rock them to sleep comforting. They know the pictures of the mom rocking the grown man are silly and not meant to be serious. The same is true for _Runaway Bunny._ Children are comforted by the idea that mom will love them and want them around even when they are mad at mom--and it's supposed to be funny too.


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## mistymama (Oct 12, 2004)

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

We love the animals in Goodnight Gorilla sneaking in to sleep with the zookeepers!

Love You Forever brings me to tears each time I read it.

Why does everyone take things so literally? The point of that story is that no matter how big you get, your Mother will always love you. I love to read that book to my son and tell him that no matter how big he gets, he will always be my baby. He's a huge 4 year old and loves to climb in my lap and ask for the "rocking song" (the song she sings while she rocks in that book).

I feel the same way about Runaway Bunny .. the point is about unconditional love in a way children can understand. That no matter how mad you are at your Mom, she will always love you and want you around.

I've always disliked Curious George, did as a child. So I have not picked up one of those books in 15+ years and my son has no idea who he is.









One of my son's favorite books right now is "There is a Nightmare in My Closet", and while it's a cute story, the boy shoots the nightmare with a gun and it's made my son keep asking for one, and turing legos into guns to shoot nightmares. But I think the point of the story is great, so it really does not bother me much.

I guess I"m a book lover .. I can't think of any books we have that bother me. Certainly none that I HATE!


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

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.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


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.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


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!


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


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


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## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

Quote:


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.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


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.







:


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## hapersmion (Jan 5, 2007)

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


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## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Quote:

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"


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## Mommy Piadosa (Jul 4, 2005)

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


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

Quote:


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.

Quote:


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.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

I loved Mama do you love me and now I cosleep w/my kids.







Sorry, I'm late but couldnt' resist!


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

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.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


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.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


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.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

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.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


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.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


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 (Mar 2, 2005)

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.


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## mistymama (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


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!


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


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.


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

I've participated in a lot of threads about Rainbow Fish and The Giving Tree - always to go against the grain and say that we love them. But then, we view them from a whole other perspective. My son LOVED The Giving Tree, and we always had a discussion about the story when we read it.

All of my kids just adored Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - we would all be shouting and laughing and silly! I think it's one of the most fun books ever! And right now I'm painting a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom wall mural in the children's section at our public library - really brightening up a drab corner, I might add!

Runaway Bunny is all about security and love, IMO.

My kids also love Where the Wild Things Are - again, reading that one aloud is a grand opportunity to be loud and boisterous, "RUMPUS, RUMPUS, RUMPUS!"

The only books I really loathe are Disney/Barbie/commercial character books. Even most of the Sesame Street books are pretty dull. I have fond memories of classic Little Golden Books, but have found that reading them to my own kids is a real yawn for all of us.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BusyMommy* 
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.

You are kidding, right?







I honestly can't tell anymore.







:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BusyMommy* 
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.

He's supposed to be a jerk though. Sometimes, a character in a book is showing us how _not_ to behave.


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## Sarahbunny (Jun 13, 2006)

I've never liked I'll Love Your Forever - that's the one where the mom sneaks into her adult sons house, right? Something about it makes me very uncomfortable.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnysideup* 
You are kidding, right?







I honestly can't tell anymore.







: He's supposed to be a jerk though. Sometimes, a character in a book is showing us how _not_ to behave.

Well, I have boys and they're both under the age of 13 and will face mucho suspicion b/c of those 2 variables so ...







...yep, I am j/k.









And yeah, but it's that eye for an eye, etc thing that comes out in me when I read the Giving Tree. I just wish the Tree would give him a big splinter where the sun's not shining. Mean, yes, I understand. But, well, that moral just doesn't gell w/me. Maybe, however, after reading Good Night Moon a few times, I'd be calm enough to accept its wisdom.

And, no-one's mentioned fairy tales, spec. Grimm's. I think they're hysterical. We love to read them. I love how Hansel & Gretel tricked the witch by using a chicken bone.


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## Demeter9 (Nov 14, 2006)

Sunnysideup - I agree with you. But I find that people do this with adult stories too. Take things literally where the message or point in the story is not literal. I don't think people are actually singling out children's books.


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## AuntNi (Feb 26, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dreaming* 
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.

Yeah, that's EXACTLY what creeps me out about it. I always think, "Yeah, I bet his wife LOVES having her MIL sneak in the window.







" Keep in mind my experience is from my dad's mom and my DH's mom, both of whom *would* probably sneak in our window if they thought they could get by with it.









I feel strongly about lots of books, both for adult and children. I love love love some, and there are a few I do absolutely hate. Again, Love You Forever merely creeps me out because of my in-law experience.

Also, Crescent Dragonwagon's mother is Charlotte Zolotow, not Margaret Wise Brown.


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla

ROFL some of those are terrible. I was watching Sesame Street once and it waas at the end where Oscar reads to Wormie and he's looking for a book to read. As he leafs through books, he pulls out "Get Lost, Moon" and "The Very Angry Caterpiller"







Someone at Sesame street is tired of these crappy books as well!


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## SummerLover (Nov 19, 2001)

I happened across this while looking for information about the author of The Paper Bag Princess, one of my favorite books.

Quote:

Love You Forever started as a song.

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

I made that up after my wife and I had two babies born dead. The song was my song to my dead babies. For a long time I had it in my head and I couldn't even sing it because every time I tried to sing it I cried. It was very strange having a song in my head that I couldn't sing.

For a long time it was just a song but one day, while telling stories at a big theatre at the University of Guelph, it occurred to me that I might be able to make a story around the song.

Out popped Love You Forever, pretty much the way it is in the book.
http://robertmunsch.com/books.cfm?bookid=40

The only book I've come across that I just couldn't bring myself to read to my dd was Junie B Jones.


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## Demeter9 (Nov 14, 2006)

I dislike Beatrix Potter books, because I generally don't like the message OR the way it is put. People being spanked, threatening, chased down, beaten, getting in trouble and causing trouble because of not being supervised, etc.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
That Maragaret Wise Brown (mother of Crescent Dragonwagon, let me add) was a real sicko.

Actually, Crescent Dragonwagon is Charlotte Zolotow's daughter. (I just looked it up.) (ETA: I see AuntNi beat me to it on that one.) Speaking of that sicko, MWB, I love the story about the little girl who gets a steamroller for Christmas and rolls a bunch of people and animals flat as shadows. (Including her teacher, knocked down and flattened out with a Merry Christmas smile still on her face.)

Just kidding, of course. I actually hate that story because it advocates going overboard on Christmas spending (the parents not only buy the girl a steamroller, they get her a steam shovel, too!) and because it shows such irresponsible parenting. What kind of parents would let their child drive a steamroller unsupervised? (Without even explaining how the controls worked!)


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## molarmama (Dec 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dreaming* 
rainbow fish.

the other fish pressure the rainbow fish into sharing his scales.
i don't appreciate the entitlement angle at all.
honestly, why *should* the rainbow fish remove the scales he was born with and give them away just to make the other fish happy?
why can't the other fish just be content with their own scales?

talk about political indoctorination.
went right into the trash at our house.

I also HATE this book and will not have it in my house. My husband has a masters in Literacy and they actually talked about this in one of his grad classes. We vowed to never read it to our kids.


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## molarmama (Dec 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntNi* 
Love You Forever. The big guy in his mother's lap just creeps me out.

This book makes me cry every time I read it. I really love it. I think you may feel different when your DC is an adult. I think you'll WISH could could do that. My eyes are welling up


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## mirlee (Jul 30, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BusyMommy* 
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!

We have this one and another Walter book. Should I also admit to having a stuffed version of Walter that "farts" when you squeeze his middle?







:


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Madre Piadosa* 
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.

Wow. I never got that at all from Harry the Dirty Dog. No one wanted him around when he is white and clean in the beginning. That is why he was alone in the first place to get covered in seaweed and be mistaken for a sea monster.


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## boatbaby (Aug 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Poot* 
ROFL some of those are terrible. I was watching Sesame Street once and it waas at the end where Oscar reads to Wormie and he's looking for a book to read. As he leafs through books, he pulls out "Get Lost, Moon" and "The Very Angry Caterpiller"







Someone at Sesame street is tired of these crappy books as well!

Now THAT IS FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







:


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## mommy2abigail (Aug 20, 2005)

What are you talking about? My mama still rocks me to sleep? While I rock dd to sleep! We're just a pile of runaway bunnies on an old rocking chair!







Ok, jk! I just dislike books that are boring for ME to read. So I hide those, or tell dd to ask daddy to read them.







Otherwise, I dont really HATE any messages in her childrens books...


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## northcountrymamma (Feb 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Poot* 
"Get Lost, Moon" and "The Very Angry Caterpiller"

As much as I LOVE both of those books...that's crazy funny!

People seriously don't like "where the wild things are" ???
That book is truly one of the best kids book I have EVER read! In fact we have two, one at her dad's house and one here. I can't imagine a better book to read when my lil one is feeling wacky and wanting to be noisy and crazy... and to slowly settle into our evening routine we read this one. It always chills her out...lets her know it's okay to get this stuff out of her system.

She knows i would never deprive her from food...that i will always love her and that this is just a story with a very fun tone!


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## mimim (Nov 2, 2003)

I love a lot of these books.

Who doesn't like feisty, strong, creative, feminist Olivia???? (Although William does have bottles.)

Green Eggs and Ham is about not saying you don't like something when you haven't even tried it.

Love You Forever is about unconditional love and the fact that your parents will always cherish you even when you are grown and you should do the same. We think it's hilarious when she climbs in his window. It's not meant to be literal!

A lot of books (Curious George is one) can be used to discuss cultural and historical difference and why we don't agree with the values of the book.

Although, I do agree Rainbow Fish is boring and insipid. Clifford bores me too.


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *northcountrymamma* 
People seriously don't like "where the wild things are" ???
That book is truly one of the best kids book I have EVER read! In fact we have two, one at her dad's house and one here. I can't imagine a better book to read when my lil one is feeling wacky and wanting to be noisy and crazy... and to slowly settle into our evening routine we read this one. It always chills her out...lets her know it's okay to get this stuff out of her system.

Your DD would probably also love Katie and the Night Noises! D


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

My 6-yo loves Junie B. Jones! Those are the only books she will read on her own, to herself.


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## mimim (Nov 2, 2003)

Quote:


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.

This is a good example of how a book you don't really care for can be turned into a positive experience.

The "not smart" would prompt me to start a discussion about how people can be smart in all different kinds of ways and how people can be bad at one thing but excellent at another.


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## boatbaby (Aug 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mimim* 
I love a lot of these books.

Who doesn't like feisty, strong, creative, feminist Olivia???? (Although William does have bottles.)

Green Eggs and Ham is about not saying you don't like something when you haven't even tried it.

Love You Forever is about unconditional love and the fact that your parents will always cherish you even when you are grown and you should do the same. We think it's hilarious when she climbs in his window. It's not meant to be literal!

A lot of books (Curious George is one) can be used to discuss cultural and historical difference and why we don't agree with the values of the book.

Although, I do agree Rainbow Fish is boring and insipid. Clifford bores me too.

I think Olivia is a brat not a feminist. And reading Olivia once gave my son some bad ideas he never thought about before.

There are a million other books out there that teach cultural differences -- i hardly think Curious George is one of them. Though that is a very creative way to look at it...


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 
Actually, Crescent Dragonwagon is Charlotte Zolotow's daughter. (I just looked it up.) (ETA: I see AuntNi beat me to it on that one.) Speaking of that sicko, MWB, I love the story about the little girl who gets a steamroller for Christmas and rolls a bunch of people and animals flat as shadows. (Including her teacher, knocked down and flattened out with a Merry Christmas smile still on her face.)

Just kidding, of course. I actually hate that story because it advocates going overboard on Christmas spending (the parents not only buy the girl a steamroller, they get her a steam shovel, too!) and because it shows such irresponsible parenting. What kind of parents would let their child drive a steamroller unsupervised? (Without even explaining how the controls worked!)










OMG! You are right. Touche to you. (I am thrilled someone bothered to look it up). lol


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## Mama Coltrane (Sep 30, 2004)

i like most Dr Seuss, but i detest reading Fox in Socks. It just gives me a headache with all the tongue twisters and rhyming. It reminds me of being in speech therapy as a kid!
I love reading out loud, just not that book.


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Ok, while I love No! David!, I really do not enjoy Daisy Head Maisy. There is something so off about that book.


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## clane (Aug 5, 2005)

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.

DH & I were just discussing the message of the Rainbow Fish the other day. Bleh!


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## sabrosina (Jun 23, 2003)

The only book that I won't read to my son anymore is _The Carrot Seed_.

A little guy wants to grow carrots so he plants the seeds and everyone in his life is discouraging him.. mom, dad, brother all keep telling him 'they won't come up!' What is up with that? But the little boy keeps watering and weeding and amazingly enough, they DO come up.

So the story does have a keep-at-it-and-you'll-succeed theme, but what a crappy family example.


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## NamastePlatypus (Jan 22, 2007)

MIL was reading one of dhs books from when he was little which I thought was cute, until I started listening. It was some book about Oscar the Grouch. It was so mean. I was horrified! Then she got pissed because I asked her to read another one of his that he likes and well, you know MIL's







: I would quote it but I threw it away







:


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## One Art (Nov 9, 2005)

I dislike Funny Bunny (all the other animals make fun of him because he doesn't have a tail, so he has to get one) and Pokey Little Puppy (the puppies dig a hole under the fence to play and they get punished by not being allowed to have dessert). And I have a huge pet peeve about books that rhyme badly - Hello Toes, Hello Feet, Chelsea Fish, and Pretty Little Lilly and the Magical Night come to mind... they rhyme badly and the rhythm is awful! (ok, I am an english major and a writer) And illustrations do creep me out sometimes.... has anyone read The Pet Person?


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## vac70 (Jan 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntNi* 
Love You Forever. The big guy in his mother's lap just creeps me out.

I like RM's books but that one has always creeped me out too. I worked at a Children's bookstore and never understood why people would start crying when they read that book!


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## TheDivineMissE (Mar 31, 2006)

I still have Love You Forever memorized from when I was 19 and worked at a daycare. I didn't even _have_ kids and that book made me cry every single time I read it. I never thought it was creepy - just amazingly sweet - the devotion mamas and babies feel for each other. *sniff*

Oh and the If You Give A Mouse A Cookie book is so cute too! It's written just the way a kid might think or tell a story. I love those books and would buy them all if they weren't so darned expensive!

Books I don't like:

Anything that makes noise, like a PP said. Those books drive me crazy.


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## Ravin (Mar 19, 2002)

I have 2 problems with Curious George. One is that it is dated. Nearly everything anyone mentions that is wrong with the book has to do with the change in mindset that has occured in the past few decades about apes.

Second is that he's NOT A MONKEY!!!!

Curious George has no tail. He knuckle walks. He is completely and obviously a CHIMPANZEE.

I dislike Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb for the same reason.

I still read both books to DD. I just substitute "chimpanzee" for "monkey" except when the firemen in CG are speaking.

And any concern about George being taken can be easily brushed aside by saying that his mother was killed by poachers and the Man in the Yellow Hat, a primatologist, took him in. Most chimpanzees orphaned at a young age (before 3 or 4 yrs.) die.

There have been captive chimpanzees who enjoyed smoking, so the pipe thing is actually fairly realistic (just dated!!!).


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## maygee (Dec 22, 2006)

Moo Baa Lalala is actually really fun to read, I think! Boynton's books are cute! It's one of the only books tht I didn't end up hating to read when I worked at a daycare. Goodnight Moon I LOVE!!! And Runaway Bunny too! BUT I hate those "learning books" Leapfrog?? that train your kids to read and recite random things...they just really disturb me, the whole smartest baby thing...


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## KayasMama04 (Feb 4, 2006)

I didn't read all of it but to me they are childrens books give them credit...I don't hate any of her books wait...board books annoy me because they are too short lol I like the song bad babies its funny...come on when my mom brought my little sister home it was not peaches and cream she was always crying and mom held and played with her more. I always cry when I ready ill love you forever.


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

It's really just the illustrations of I'll Love You Forever that are creepy. My ds would find that sentiment comforting (we don't have the book).

Eric Carl books drive me crazy to read because they are so repetitive.

We have some story with the characters illustrated like hedgehogs, I think, where the little girl keeps stalling at bedtime. She keeps getting out of bed. It is handled very nicely until the end when the father asks if she knows what will happen if she gets up again. The answer is a spanking.

ETA Bedtime for Frances is the book I was thinking of in the above description.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *4evermom* 
Eric Carl books drive me crazy to read because they are so repetitive.

We have some story with the characters illustrated like hedgehogs, I think, where the little girl keeps stalling at bedtime. She keeps getting out of bed. It is handled very nicely until the end when the father asks if she knows what will happen if she gets up again. The answer is a spanking.

ETA Bedtime for Frances is the book I was thinking of in the above description.

Oh, yes, Eric Carle books are so boring and repetitive! (There is one good one, though - _Draw Me as Star_.)

I love _Bedtime for Frances_, and so does my DD, despite the fact that we would never spank her. I love all of Russell Hoban's books. We have one by him that I'm sure would appear on every thread like this if it weren't out of print and seldom seen - _Tom and the Two Handles_, about a boy who figures out that the best way to get along with his friend is to learn how to beat him up. I love that one, too.


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## falcon (Jul 8, 2004)

Books I hate?

Two words-

_Everyone Poops_

I don't think I need to elaborate


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 
Oh, yes, Eric Carle books are so boring and repetitive! (There is one good one, though - _Draw Me as Star_.)

I love _Bedtime for Frances_, and so does my DD, despite the fact that we would never spank her. I love all of Russell Hoban's books. We have one by him that I'm sure would appear on every thread like this if it weren't out of print and seldom seen - _Tom and the Two Handles_, about a boy who figures out that the best way to get along with his friend is to learn how to beat him up. I love that one, too.

I threw that one out







(Tom and the Two Handles). It was truly terrible







. Ds was a puncher and did not need that book in his life!

I do like Bedtime for Frances except that tiny part. It's frequently just one line that ruins an entire book. It's not so bad now that ds is older but I didn't want to read it to him when he was 3.


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## Doodadsmom (May 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiepunk* 
the vast majority of sibling preparation books make me nuts. between the "mommy's going to leave to go to the hospital" and "daddy's going to give the baby a bottle" and pictures of cribs, bouncy seats, disposible diapers and the like i was appalled to find that there were only like two books i found on the subject that i could even modify for my DD.










Have you seen All the Places to Love? I haven't read it, but it looks really good on Amazon...the younger sib is born at home.

Re: Love You Forever...I like this one. The allegorical message is very positive. Which is what I dislike about The Giving Tree...the allegory is worse than if you just take it literally IMO.

Also, I don't think that all books are either 'good' or 'bad' - something that's fine for one person might not work for another. Like I said, I like Love You Forever, but if there was someone in my life who literally did the types of things the mother in this story does...then, not so much. And if a book brings a parent to a bad place, I don't see how their reading it to their child could be a good thing. It's not like we've got a very limited list of available books.


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## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

The only children's books I really dislike so far are the ones that are poorly written. I think the Sandra Boynton books are pretty poor, in terms of quality. Those Fuzzy Bee/Snowy Bear cloth books that they sell at toy stores are dreadful. There's a line in Snowy Bear (MIL got it for dd)--"Running quickly through the snow, see the moose come and go"--that drives dh and me BATTY. We either correct the grammar when we read or make snarky comments about being careful not to run into the moose when playing in the snow. Of course, dd is only 8 months, so all books are tasty snacks to her!









And, while I don't dislike it, does anyone else find "In the Night Kitchen" to be a little...trippy? I really think Maurice Sendak was dropping a lot of acid back in the day.


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NYCVeg* 
And, while I don't dislike it, does anyone else find "In the Night Kitchen" to be a little...trippy? I really think Maurice Sendak was dropping a lot of acid back in the day.

















In the Night Kitchen is nothing compared to I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book!!!

Under "Insults":

Quote:

Tell her! Smell her!
Kick her down the cellar!
"Teasing and Repartee":

Quote:

Tit for tat,
Butter for fat,
If you kill my dog
I'll kill your cat.
"Contempt":

Quote:

Cry, baby, cry,
Stick a finger in your eye,
And tell your mother it wasn't I.
_(For cry babies)_
Great illustrations, though - all the little nakey boys are intact. OTOH - There's a totally *sick* series of illustrations showing a nursing baby slowly consuming his whole mother after she dozes off, then dancing with glee afterward!


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## kaleidoscopeeyes (May 14, 2006)

I work in a library, in the children's section...I actually like most of the books mentioned







: But I can see how the repetitious ones get old, they are good for language development though.

The one book I would burn given a chance (ok it's a whole series) is the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey. Ugh. They are SO popular, especially amongst boys age 8-11 or so. They are nothing but potty humor and the WORST part (for me anyway) is there are constant misspellings. Blech. Hate those things. Waste of county funds if you ask me.


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

My 8 year old son loves Captain Underpants. I don't. Fortunately, he also loves to read other things.


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## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Poot* 
ROFL some of those are terrible. I was watching Sesame Street once and it waas at the end where Oscar reads to Wormie and he's looking for a book to read. As he leafs through books, he pulls out "Get Lost, Moon" and "The Very Angry Caterpiller"







Someone at Sesame street is tired of these crappy books as well!


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## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:

No-one's mentioned Walter the Farting Dog yet!
I haven't finished this whole thread yet, but I have never read that book but I've seen it and ... WTF?!?!







:


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## amyjeans (Jul 27, 2004)

I just got and read to my girls "The Story of Babar" and was appaulled!!!!!
Fisrt- the mom dies- SOOO Disney-like, then in the end, he marries his cousin?
huh???? and everyone is okay with this?
Now- before anyone throws any rocks at me, the last time I checked marrying a cousin in not a good thing.

yikes!


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## Nathan1097 (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *falcon* 
Books I hate?

Two words-

_Everyone Poops_

I don't think I need to elaborate









When I first saw those, I couldn't believe they were real!!


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## Twocoolboys (Mar 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaleidoscopeeyes* 
The one book I would burn given a chance (ok it's a whole series) is the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey. Ugh. They are SO popular, especially amongst boys age 8-11 or so. They are nothing but potty humor and the WORST part (for me anyway) is there are constant misspellings. Blech. Hate those things. Waste of county funds if you ask me.









Don't you think they get a lot of reluctant readers reading though? The actual text part of the stories is all gramatically correct and spelled correctly and has some pretty challenging words as well. It's the comic parts that are written by George and Harold that are full of errors - but it is supposed to mirror how a child would write.

My ds went through a big Captain Underpants phase - we loved them!

I can't think of a book that I actually hate. Though I do get tired of reading the repetative Green Eggs and Ham and things of that nature.


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## kaleidoscopeeyes (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twocoolboys* 
Don't you think they get a lot of reluctant readers reading though? The actual text part of the stories is all gramatically correct and spelled correctly and has some pretty challenging words as well. It's the comic parts that are written by George and Harold that are full of errors - but it is supposed to mirror how a child would write.

My ds went through a big Captain Underpants phase - we loved them!

And that is why we carry them, the librarians philosophy that if you can get them started reading, you can guide them toward better books. I don't know that I agree yet. I think that is sort of idealistic. Not that it NEVER happens, but that it seldom does. I think you can have fun, easy to read books for early readers without all the bad grammar and misspellings. I don't even mind the potty humor so much, but why not spell things correctly? I understand mirroring how a child writes, but when the intended reader still has a burgeoning vocabulary it seems more worthwhile to reinforce the proper spellings, ya know what I mean?

I'm all for kids loving books though, even if I don't like the books themselves


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## treefolk (Nov 19, 2005)

I thought Walter the Farting Dog was really funny... we get a kick out of farting...but I will say that I thought it was funny as an adult because of the "dry" sense of humor it had.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Yep, Cap't Underpants and Diaper Baby, etc are big here.


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## emmalala (Dec 3, 2001)

Miagic Treehouse. I know they are for beginning readers and that's good but they are so flabby and illogical that I only get them from the library.


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## Altair (May 1, 2005)

I LOVE the No David books... the children I teach with autism can read David's facial expressions so much better than they can read facial expressions of other characters. Sometimes it is THAT series of books that gets our Kindergarteners with ASDs to start talking to us for the first time.

And the children are smart and find it funny that we DON'T say no all day... yet that is David's life. There is so much teaching to do from those books, so many conversations can be started... and conversations about characters with ASD students is not an easy thing to create!

I hate The Giving Tree, however. I have debated this one with other teachers for hours, everyone seems to have an opinion one way or another! It IS my background in comparative lit and gender/sexuality studies that makes me look at this book deeper... it is not me just reading it at a surface level. I fail to find ANYthing redeeming in it. I saw above the theory that the underlying message is that the boy is selfish... and some people argue that it is about exploiting nature. I disagree.

Same with Curious George. Racist. I won't read racist books to my students.

I hate any Disney books, or any books written from/about TV shows and movies.

I don't like Eric Carle books, not b/c of the repetition (One of my fav books has lots of it.. Farmer Duck... great socialist book!) but because they are just boring.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Has anyone mentioned yet that The Giving Tree isn't about a man _taking_ from a woman, but about a mother _giving_ to her son? Just like Love You Forever, I take it as metaphor . . . hyperbolic metaphor . . . symbolizing a mother's boundless love. Will I climb through my grown son's apartment window to snuggle him in his sleep? No. We'll still be co-sleeping and nursing so I won't have to.

Books that do bother me include the all-too-aptly-named Grimm Brothers' works of terror and creepiness. How do kids ever accept a step-mother after reading an original version of Hansel and Gretel? They didn't have enough food to eat so she makes the father drag them out into the woods TO DIE? Ouch!

I also don't especially enjoy reading classic Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. Most of them are just plain weird.

And, as a former Kindergarten teacher, I MUST give all my characters fitting accents as I read their dialogue. Therefore, I don't especially enjoy Sesame Street books because my Big Bird sounds like a stoner and my Elmo sounds like Marilyn Monroe in a porn movie. Books by black authors written in authentic dialect also make me uncomfortable because I read like a racist.


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## AKmoose (Jul 25, 2003)

Add me to the dislike club for Rainbow Fish, Love You Forever (creepy) and The Giving Tree (selfish man). I remembered Giving Tree so fondly from childhood that when I found it at a garage sale as a mom, I snapped it right up...then re-read it. Yuk.

The other ones I really do NOT like are the Eloise books. I find the little girl obnoxious, spoiled, rude and always doing things I don't want my kids to know they even COULD do









We have also "disappeared" every Disney book ever given to us...


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

I don't hate any of the books we've read so far, although I do groan silently when my son picks out certain books. I quickly get rid of all the Little Golden Books, Whinne the Pooh, and Disney books I used to buy at yard sales. They just don't get me interested, and seem to drag on too long. Anything I don't like, ends up in the garage sale box to be recycled on to someone else that might like it better than we do.

I LOVE Goodnight Moon, Hop on Pop, and Snug House Bug House!


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

Ok give it a rest on Curious George. For goodness sake, its not like it was written recently. Its like saying we shouldn't read The Great Gatsby because it isn't politically correct for our times. Curious George is a classic and always will be. I didn't even bother reading past the first page of this thread because the reasons people were giving for disliking a book were kind silly and in my mind fall into the holier than thou political correctness department. Now if a book is poorly written or is just marketing in disguise (aka Disney) then feel free to complain. But to hate Green Eggs and Ham because you think it teaches forcing something on someone until they give in rather misses the point of the book (it is just fun, silly, rhyming stuff). Quit being so serious people.







:


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## KayasMama04 (Feb 4, 2006)

To me its sad a lot of us are refusing to read books to our children that they might enjoy becuase WE don't ike it or its boring to US. I will reread the most annoying book over and over because dd likes it. Shes two she doesn't think curious george is racist and nor do I think im raising one if she is allowed to read it. I agree with straight and curly ...heffer about how the giving tree could be about a mothers love.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 







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

laughup

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntNi* 
"Yeah, I bet his wife LOVES having her MIL sneak in the window.







" Keep in mind my experience is from my dad's mom and my DH's mom, both of whom *would* probably sneak in our window if they thought they could get by with it

With apron strings that long, you think he actually got married? No way, no how, who'd have him?

I think it's perfectly OK to acknowledge that there are certain books that *as adults* we hate, even if our kids love them. But I have to agree - lighten up folks!

Personally, I love the Pokey Little Puppy (loved it as a child), the Boyton books (I love the illustrations - and even the Rhinocerous Tap CD is meant to be tongue in cheek folks!!). Boynton's Pajama Time is worth it's weight in gold for how much easier it made getting pajamas on for a while.

Oh, but I forgot to add my ALL TIME LEAST FAVORITE BOOK: ONCE UPON A POTTY. It's the stupidist book alive. And dd was in love with it. When my folks were visiting, she brought it to my dad to read -- he had no idea what he was getting into. You should have seen the look on his face when he got to "and he went wee-wee and poo-poo..."







(honestly such stupid words for bodily functions!)


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## maygee (Dec 22, 2006)

ot, but....In the Night Kitchen is the best children's book ever---and they tried to ban it because it was about masturbation, I heard... never got that, personally. Sendak was a genius, imo. Higglety pigglety pop is great too--


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LynnS6* 
Oh, but I forgot to add my ALL TIME LEAST FAVORITE BOOK: ONCE UPON A POTTY. It's the stupidist book alive.

Yes! YES!!!!!!!

Oh, that is a stupid book.







And I paid $$$ for it, too.

Quote:

and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat
and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

Okay yes, I seriously don't like WTWTA. Shoot me. I may be able to understand that it's just a story and that stories are not always to be taken literally etc., but my toddler can't. People who write children's stories really ought to take that into consideration. She has it, and we've read it, and talked about how Max's mama was wrong and sometimes mamas do the wrong thing. I mean, it's not horrible on the same scale as having to see people beat their kids in Walmart, but I like to keep her exposure to things like that to a minimum, and make sure they're not normalized.


----------



## L&IsMama (Jan 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Madre Piadosa* 
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.









: Wow.


----------



## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paquerette* 
Okay yes, I seriously don't like WTWTA. Shoot me. I may be able to understand that it's just a story and that stories are not always to be taken literally etc., but my toddler can't. People who write children's stories really ought to take that into consideration. She has it, and we've read it, and talked about how Max's mama was wrong and sometimes mamas do the wrong thing. I mean, it's not horrible on the same scale as having to see people beat their kids in Walmart, but I like to keep her exposure to things like that to a minimum, and make sure they're not normalized.

Well, Max *was* chasing the dog with a fork.







Maybe he did that because he's an abused child? Anyway, the time in his room couldn't be long as his food was still warm.

Maybe Max's mother wasn't wrong. Maybe Max was really tired and needed his little nap to where the wild things are so he could join the world refreshed. He certainly looks relieved in that last pic. And what child hasn't experienced a feeling of not being understood? (I am sure some will chime in and say their child has never had a tantrum).

Honestly, kids like the absurd. And not every child buys the sweet rainbow world parents try to feed them. Most children get frustrated with parents or the world at times. These books recognize that life and emotions are complicated-- even for the child with perfect parents.

It's why I like No, David! Even if you hardly ever say no to kids, sometimes kids still feel controlled (no sugar, no tv, no reading books with a less than perfect view of the world). I think children can see the humor and can relate to this imperfection, no matter how much we adults can't.


----------



## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spero* 
Yes! YES!!!!!!!

Oh, that is a stupid book.







And I paid $$$ for it, too.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I don't know this book. But a minute to an adult is like an enternity to a child too young to use a toilet. Maybe the book is trying to see if from a toddler's point of view?


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 

It's why I like No, David! . . . I think children can see the humor and can relate to this imperfection, no matter how much we adults can't.

I think the thing I like best about No, David (and I do like it and most of David Shannon's other books) is that I feel like it sort of lends credibility to all the times I say No to the kids. Sometimes when I say No, they look at me like I'm just pulling rules out of my butt. But with No, David, I can say, "_See, picking your nose IS gross. It's not just me!_"


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

My children loved Once Upon a Potty. A lot. We have the boy version and it was worth having only to see the look of horror on in-laws faces when dd used to read it all the time. Oh my, she will know boys have a penis. Ignoring the fact that she was aware of that long before she got her hands on that book.


----------



## becoming (Apr 11, 2003)

Ha, I just discovered this thread. We love pretty much all of the books previously mentioned, although we haven't read "Rainbow Fish" and definitely won't be now that I read this thread!

"Green Eggs & Ham" and "Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom" are two of DD's favorites.


----------



## hhurd (Oct 7, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mimim* 
(Although William does have bottles.)

He's also part of a family of talking pigs who live in an apartment and wear clothes. Now what kind of example is that?


----------



## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

dd LOVED Once Upon a Potty...was one of the things that finally got her to go poop there on a regular basis..

SHe likes the Grouchy Ladybug...I dont get the message in it...but it's about a ladybug that wants to fight everything... 0.0

Loves me the Robert Munsch though.

DH reads her Clifford in French.

dunno, I think I draw the line at barbie and princess books...we dont get her those at all..


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hhurd* 
He's also part of a family of talking pigs who live in a apartment and wear clothes. Now what kind of example is that?

I am hoping those pigs were kosher, at least.







:


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
I don't know this book. But a minute to an adult is like an enternity to a child too young to use a toilet. Maybe the book is trying to see if from a toddler's point of view?

I get that element - but trust me, after you've read that one page about eight thousand times, you're ready to rip it out of the book and burn it. What bugs me about OUaP is the way that it's written - and the "new potty" looks like a frigging chamberpot from a couple of centuries ago.

"Was it a hat?" "Was it a milk bowl for the cat?"

And "A pee-pee to go wee-wee" just doesn't do it for me.

I like The Princess and the Potty way better.


----------



## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spero* 
I get that element - but trust me, after you've read that one page about eight thousand times, you're ready to rip it out of the book and burn it. What bugs me about OUaP is the way that it's written - and the "new potty" looks like a frigging chamberpot from a couple of centuries ago.

"Was it a hat?" "Was it a milk bowl for the cat?"

And "A pee-pee to go wee-wee" just doesn't do it for me.

I like The Princess and the Potty way better.










It does sound silly. lol

My sister is here and she knows it. She said the potty looks like the Swedish Bjorn potty, that is all one piece.


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## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

you know how OLD Once Upon a Potty is??

I know I was read it when I was PLing.

I know my DH was read it when he was PLing...

heck my MIL kept the same copy and read it to all three of her boys while they PL'd


----------



## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandora114* 
you know how OLD Once Upon a Potty is??

you know how OLD I am??










I remember when that book was new (only the boy version), laughing my ass off reading it with my cousin in a dept. store.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spero* 
"Was it a hat?" "Was it a milk bowl for the cat?"

Yep, and Once Upon a Potty has led my two year old to try our potty chair on as a hat (AFTER peeing in it), and wanting to fill it with milk and pretend to be a cat!









And FYI, we still read it a ton. I just grit my teeth and skip about 30 of the 'and sat and sat and sat's


----------



## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiepunk* 
the vast majority of sibling preparation books make me nuts. between the "mommy's going to leave to go to the hospital" and "daddy's going to give the baby a bottle" and pictures of cribs, bouncy seats, disposible diapers and the like i was appalled to find that there were only like two books i found on the subject that i could even modify for my DD.









ok, OT, but i wanted to pass on "welcome with love" by jenni overend and juli vivas. my wonderful bff gave it to us when we were expecting dd2 and planning a homebirth.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...&Go.y=13&Go=Go

i think it's ?aussie/nz, but it's a homebirth, told from the perspective of a sibling (?the youngest, there's ?3 kids at home already). the midwife comes, mama takes a walk and later stands up to birth the baby, and everyone sleeps on the floor together in front of the fireplace that night. not a crib/bottle in sight! and the illustration of the birth gave dd1 some prep of witnessing the actual birth in a format she could relate to (vs those videos of births).


----------



## monocyte (Jun 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *4evermom* 
It.

We have some story with the characters illustrated like hedgehogs, I think, where the little girl keeps stalling at bedtime. She keeps getting out of bed. It is handled very nicely until the end when the father asks if she knows what will happen if she gets up again. The answer is a spanking.

ETA Bedtime for Frances is the book I was thinking of in the above description.


I *hate* Bedtime for Frances bc of the spanking part...but, we changed it around a bit; it would be kisses from our dog, with horrible breath.

DH loves the book, and thinks Im crazy for not reading it to him.


----------



## pfamilygal (Feb 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
Well, Max *was* chasing the dog with a fork.







Maybe he did that because he's an abused child? Anyway, the time in his room couldn't be long as his food was still warm.

Maybe Max's mother wasn't wrong. Maybe Max was really tired and needed his little nap to where the wild things are so he could join the world refreshed. He certainly looks relieved in that last pic. And what child hasn't experienced a feeling of not being understood? (I am sure some will chime in and say their child has never had a tantrum).

Honestly, kids like the absurd. And not every child buys the sweet rainbow world parents try to feed them. Most children get frustrated with parents or the world at times. These books recognize that life and emotions are complicated-- even for the child with perfect parents.

It's why I like No, David! Even if you hardly ever say no to kids, sometimes kids still feel controlled (no sugar, no tv, no reading books with a less than perfect view of the world). I think children can see the humor and can relate to this imperfection, no matter how much we adults can't.

Exactly. I look at it like this. Max's mom was going to lose her temper. So she sent Max to his room to chill while she finished dinner. So he daydreamed while she made dinner. (Remember "where he found his supper waiting for him... and it was still hot.").


----------



## luvmy2boys (Apr 17, 2006)

Quote:


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

Yeah, I think I like the underlying message in the book, but not the execution. I have a very close relationship with my parents, but I don't sit in their laps. I think if they had just showed them hugging or something, it would feel less creepy.

Also, it's been a while since I read the book, but I remember feeling like all of the affection was one way, which made me feel like maybe the mom was smothering more than the son wanted or needed her so much.


----------



## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maygee* 
ot, but....In the Night Kitchen is the best children's book ever---and they tried to ban it because it was about masturbation, I heard... never got that, personally. Sendak was a genius, imo. Higglety pigglety pop is great too--

Erm...I'm pretty sure that people try to (and do) ban ITNK because it shows the boy's penis in the illustrations (masturbation? seriously?). My MIL is a school librarian, and she said that, in another school she's familiar with, a prudish librarian drew underwear on all the pictures of Mickey.


----------



## Pandora114 (Apr 21, 2005)

Shell Silverstein books are plain ol creepy and scary..


----------



## root*children (Mar 22, 2004)

One I haven't seen mentioned yet is Ping or maybe it's called The Story of Ping, or something similar. About the little duck in China. The last duck that gets on the boat each night gets whipped. I loved that one as a child, but had forgotten the whipping part, until I found it for my kids. Fortunatly, they didn't really like it









Shel Silverstein? REally? We LOVELOVELOVE him! When I was little, I thought his photo on teh back was creepy, but his poetry rocks. He's written a good deal of adult stuff too (think cartoons in vintage playboys). The older stuff for adults he wrote was HILARIOUS! He wrote another really long poem about smoking pot... I think it was like a contest to see who had the best herb, and thousands of people came and filled a stadium, etc.









And speaking of drug related books (wasn't someone referencing Maurice Sendak in that way?), has anyone read Cat Steven's Teaser and the Firecat book? Talk about acid! We love that one


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## northcountrymamma (Feb 24, 2006)

I don't dislike Shel Silverstien...but man the picture of him on the back of his books....CREEPY!!! Dd wont read them because of this photo









Couldn't the publishers have chosen something a little less.....psychotic looking







:

ETA: posted at the same time as you root children.


----------



## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

I love just about every children's book I pick up - especially the ones written before WWII. What I don't like are the newer PC kids books that try to force some diversity message or political crud on our kids. I personally like children's literature without any heavy messages. I try to read it and see it like a child would - with wonder and awe!

My goal right now is to read every book in the Sonlight homeschool catalog. There are some GREAT books in there! I am having a blast reading them.


----------



## Thalia the Muse (Jun 22, 2006)

I don't like aggressively PC or preachy children's books either. I can't even look at the covers of the Jamie Lee Curtis books in the bookstore without getting annoyed!

I mean, I like books with multethnic characters, girls doing active stuff and being assertive, etc., but I don't like it when the author feels the need to lecture children.


----------



## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *root*children* 
Shel Silverstein? REally? We LOVELOVELOVE him! When I was little, I thought his photo on teh back was creepy, but his poetry rocks. He's written a good deal of adult stuff too (think cartoons in vintage playboys). The older stuff for adults he wrote was HILARIOUS! He wrote another really long poem about smoking pot... I think it was like a contest to see who had the best herb, and thousands of people came and filled a stadium, etc.









oh, my, the smoke off: "now in the laid-back california town of sunny san rafael, lived a girl named pearly sweetcakes, you prob'ly knew her well. she'd been stoned 15 of her 18 years, and her story was widely told, how she could smoke 'em faster than any dude could roll." in 1980 i could recite the entire 6 minute poem, recorded off of dr. demento with a radio shack cassette player, written down and memorized. hmmm, i got out of high school with a 2.8. questionable application of study habits...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *northcountrymamma* 
I don't dislike Shel Silverstien...but man the picture of him on the back of his books....CREEPY!!! Dd wont read them because of this photo









Couldn't the publishers have chosen something a little less.....psychotic looking







:

he was a beatnik, and probably chose it himself. he also wrote "uncle shelby's ABZ's, which teaches a mixed up alphabet, with little stories for each letter, such as "D is for Daddy," who is sleeping on the couch, and can't afford a haircut, so why don't you go and get the scissors and give him one. H is for hole, and the suggestion is to push little sister into it. pretty un PC stuff, we all loved it in high school. i think i still have it on a shelf somewhere. i should show it to the kids!

my other favorite poems of his are "sara cynthia sylvia stout" who is swallowed up by the garbage she wouldn't take out, "someone ate the baby," (but she wasn't very sweet), "i'm being eaten by a boa constrictor," and lazy jane.

lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
jane,
she
wants
a
drink
of
water,
so
she
waits
and
waits
and
waits
and
waits
and
waits
for
it
to
rain.
(into a drawing of her lying on her back with her mouth open).

thanks for the trip down memory lane!


----------



## maya44 (Aug 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gwen's mom* 
I have a BA and an MS in English education so it is very hard for me to say that I "hate" any book but one of the worst we have come across for our DD has been _Goldie is Mad_ by Margie Palatini. Here is the review I left on Amazon...

I have a very hard time parting with books, even the bad ones, however this one went straight into the trash.


One should not "hate anyone or anything" REALLY? Why in the world not. Things are not "upset" about our hatred for them, so what's wrong with saying that?

And people...some people are hateful.

While I don't think its the nicest emotion, children often do feel like they hate a sibling. Why deny the feeling?


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## maygee (Dec 22, 2006)

"Many librarians were not so thrilled when Sendak's In the Night Kitchen emerged in 1970. In it a small boy named Mickey ends up naked as he explores the city work that goes on at night. According to Sendak this development is only sensible since Mickey goes romping through great vats of dough and milk - that is, skinny dipping is the pleasant alternative to slogging about in soggy, dough-sodden clothes. But a number of librarians and booksellers of the period promptly rejected the book. And a number of others accepted it only to turn around and deface it, giving Mickey little marker drawn shorts -- or possibly, says Sendak, taped on paper diapers.

Curiously, while Sendak admits the book is, in part, about a small boy glorifying in his sensuality, some critics have taken interpretation of the book to a Freudian sexual extreme, seeing the nudity, free-flowing milky fluids, and giant (supposedly) "phallic" milk bottle as convenient symbols within a subversive tale about masturbation. Little wonder given such conflicts, real or imagined, that the book routinely appears on the American Library Association's listings of frequently challenged and banned books: even in 2004, the book made the top-ten. Despite this fact, the book continues to be celebrated by children and parents everywhere and has become a well-loved classic."


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maygee* 
"Many librarians were not so thrilled when Sendak's In the Night Kitchen emerged in 1970. In it a small boy named Mickey ends up naked as he explores the city work that goes on at night. According to Sendak this development is only sensible since Mickey goes romping through great vats of dough and milk - that is, skinny dipping is the pleasant alternative to slogging about in soggy, dough-sodden clothes. But a number of librarians and booksellers of the period promptly rejected the book. And a number of others accepted it only to turn around and deface it, giving Mickey little marker drawn shorts -- or possibly, says Sendak, taped on paper diapers.

Curiously, while Sendak admits the book is, in part, about a small boy glorifying in his sensuality, some critics have taken interpretation of the book to a Freudian sexual extreme, seeing the nudity, free-flowing milky fluids, and giant (supposedly) "phallic" milk bottle as convenient symbols within a subversive tale about masturbation. Little wonder given such conflicts, real or imagined, that the book routinely appears on the American Library Association's listings of frequently challenged and banned books: even in 2004, the book made the top-ten. Despite this fact, the book continues to be celebrated by children and parents everywhere and has become a well-loved classic."

Any book that has anyone drawing undies on a nakey baby boy has my vote! I love things that go against the grain of uptight society. Of course, it's the same reason I buy my children books from the 'banned books' list every year.


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## box_of_rain (Mar 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *UUMom* 
Any book that has anyone drawing undies on a nakey baby boy has my vote! I love things that go against the grain of uptight society. Of course, it's the same reason I buy my children books from the 'banned books' list every year.









I agree! I LOVE INTK!! Little mickey is so chunky and loveable - and intact!









It's the first one I always put on display at the library where I work when Banned Book Week rolls around. Love it!


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## box_of_rain (Mar 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *root*children* 

has anyone read Cat Steven's Teaser and the Firecat book? Talk about acid! We love that one









This has always been one of my favorites. I love how it's writen in three languages and I absolutely LOVE when they're floating down the river on the moon and come to the waterfall! What a GREAT book!
Teaser and the Firecat - check it out!


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## lula (Feb 26, 2003)

The only book that really freaked my dd out was Outside Over There. I think the ice baby did her in.


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## Meg Murry. (Sep 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *g&a* 
OK, I LOVE kids books, but some of them have storylines I don't agree with.

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.
!

Would it make you feel better to know my theory, specifically that it's about not being racist or generally biased?


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## Meg Murry. (Sep 3, 2006)

I don't know about you folks, but I was really horrified by Kate Di Camillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

For one, I really, REALLY object to a child's bunny toy being crucified. ---->Edward the Crucified Bunny


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## Meg Murry. (Sep 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fiddledebi* 
I can't stand Olivia! She's so annoying and --while I hate the word, I'll use it -- bratty. I worked for the organization that gives children's book awards, and knocking Olivia there was like saying you don't believe in apple pie or grandmothers, but yuck. I don't like her..

Me neither. She has such an air of smug entitlement.


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## raksmama (Feb 20, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil;7227624
I think it's weird how many people think the mother in [I*
Runaway Bunny[/I] is too controlling. (It's been mentioned before in threads like this.) It's about a _little_ bunny, not a bunny who's grown up and ready to get his own apartment. If you were a little kid thinking about running away, would you want your mom to just shrug and say, "Okay, bye, it was nice knowing you?" If your 3 year old did run away, wouldn't you search the world and do whatever it took to find her again?

I agree with you. My son loved the Runaway Bunny for years. I never would have thought that the mother was controlling! I remember a few years back there was an article in Mothering Magazine about a mother who had several sons. The older one liked Runaway Bunny but the younger one hated it.

Although I appreciate his originality I think some of Robert Munsch's books really do teach bad behaviour. Like the one where the girl invites the whole school over for her birthday or the one where the girl colours her whole body with markers.


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *formerluddite* 
"someone ate the baby," (but she wasn't very sweet),









Used to listen to George Carlin recite that one on Dr. Demento!


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## Oana (May 15, 2006)

So far it's "No, David". The text is depressing to me, and the ilustrations are between ugly and scary.

Which is why I appreciate everyone's input who actually gets that book or finds it useful, it redeemed it a bit.


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## knowerofnada (Dec 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dreaming* 
rainbow fish.

the other fish pressure the rainbow fish into sharing his scales.
i don't appreciate the entitlement angle at all.
honestly, why *should* the rainbow fish remove the scales he was born with and give them away just to make the other fish happy?
why can't the other fish just be content with their own scales?

talk about political indoctorination.
went right into the trash at our house.

I've read reviews on this book that completely agreed with yours. Not something I would want to teach DD.


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## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spero* 







Used to listen to George Carlin recite that one on Dr. Demento!

not sure if george carlin ever recorded any of these, but the author himself did. he has a gravelly/screechy voice that could be mistaken for george carlin. he recorded the entire "sidewalk" book of poems.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...&Go.y=14&Go=Go

wow, in looking this up i just found out he wrote for "Dr. Hook," including (i want to get my picture on the) "Cover of the Rolling Stone."

here's the ABZ's:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cus...283155&s=books


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## knowerofnada (Dec 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 

I think it's weird how many people think the mother in _Runaway Bunny_ is too controlling. (It's been mentioned before in threads like this.) It's about a _little_ bunny, not a bunny who's grown up and ready to get his own apartment. If you were a little kid thinking about running away, would you want your mom to just shrug and say, "Okay, bye, it was nice knowing you?" If your 3 year old did run away, wouldn't you search the world and do whatever it took to find her again?

Very good point!


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## knowerofnada (Dec 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LynnS6* 

As to the appeal of some books:
*Goodnight Moon* -- very repetitive and soothing.

*Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom* -- has great rhythm and is actually a good 'musical' book. And it makes my kids laugh.

*Moo-Baa-La-La* -- makes my kids laugh. It's not my favorite Boynton book by far, but if you give it good vocals, it's.

That's exactly why I love these 3. Goodnight Moon also somehow reminds me of the final scene in Our Town where Emily is saying...Goodbye to clocks ticking...although it doesn't make me sad, of course....Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has incredible rhythm, and super colorful illustrations.


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## maygee (Dec 22, 2006)

It's funny to read all of these posts- in many of them I totally see the logic of why it's maybe not appropriate, but at the same time, I love a lot of these books that are getting called out--like Ping- I absolutely adore that book and always have, but I always hated that he got spanked and remember thinking how awful it was that the ducks didn't get to keep the fish they caught (because they put tight rings around their necks so they couldn't swallow)--but I think that is why I loved it, because it really brought out feeling, instead of "Here is a story where everyone is exactly how they should be..."
Personally, I think that a book is a great place to get a message that all is not just- a safer place to confront those feelings and confusion. That said, I ate the books that look like they were just thrown together for a profit, with no message, and I hate the books with inane plots/words/rhyming patterns!


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## anubis (Oct 6, 2006)

I think kids are pretty good at taking things at face value and not reading too much into them, thus missing most, if not all, of the unpleasant messages we as adults can find in children's books.

As a side note, I just searched amazon for bedtime stories and came up with this


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## root*children (Mar 22, 2004)

FormerLuddite - you're my new favorite MDC'er







I've never met anyone else who's heard of the Smoke Off poem!! I'm glad you reminded me of how it goes. I was just remembering him rhyming all the strains







I haven't read it since college, when I actually had it posted in my dorm room









I do now remember a book that I really dislike, though. and it's probably going to sound silly, because it's a classic. But I HATED it as a child! The Velveteen Rabbit. It gave me nightmares as a child that I would get sick and all my toys and favorite dolls would get burned







Oh well.


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *formerluddite* 
not sure if george carlin ever recorded any of these, but the author himself did. he has a gravelly/screechy voice that could be mistaken for george carlin.

Omigosh, you're right -







all these years I thought that was George Carlin, but it was actually Shel!


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## Isamama (May 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla

Because they are fun!! I can only speak for Moo Baa La La La and Goodnight Gorilla (not read the others, except Goodnight moon, which I find boring). My daughter loved these two books and laughed every time she read them. Sometimes things are just meant to be fun.


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## Qalliope (Oct 22, 2004)

I have come to the conclusion that I will never really know what my child is getting out of what he reads or hears. Some kids will get upset or freaked out by something in the literal telling of a story, and some will get a deeper message or just be entertained by the same story. I don't shelter him from fiction that I don't care for because he may hear a totally different message that may hold some value for him personally. Our own experiences and personality cause a lot of bias that leads us to focus on particular aspects of the stories, which is why there are so many differing views on this thread about which books suck and which are wonderful. The only thing I can do is encourage him to think and ask questions. I always talk about how I feel about what is going on in the book, and ask ds what he thinks. He is still young, but just now starting to develop the ability to respond in more detail about what he finds to be the important points.

The only thing that I am a stickler about is correct information. The pp who said CG is a chimp and not a monkey, Right ON! I hate misrepresentation and oversimplification for young minds. I hate that my schools made me relearn history half a dozen times because they lie in an attempt to maike it easier to understand when you are little. I hate when we go to the zoo, and another little kid points at the zebra and says, "horsey!" and his mom says, "Very good, that's right!" Gag. So in answer to the OP, I hate books that intentionally obscure or misrepresent facts. I can't think of any titles off the top of my head, but I've thrown more than a few bogus "educational" kids books in the garbage.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maygee* 
I love a lot of these books that are getting called out--like Ping- I absolutely adore that book and always have, but I always hated that he got spanked and remember thinking how awful it was that the ducks didn't get to keep the fish they caught (because they put tight rings around their necks so they couldn't swallow)--but I think that is why I loved it, because it really brought out feeling, instead of "Here is a story where everyone is exactly how they should be..."

ITA.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Here's another classic for you: Tikki Tikki Tembo. Yes, it has a lovely rhythm and cadence for little ears, but MAN, what a message it carries along as well.

The first and honored son is given a great long name which means "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!" But then the second son is named Chang, which means "little or nothing." When Chang falls in the well, the mother gets pissy and calls him a "troublesome boy." But then when Tikki Tikki falls in she freaks out.

I think I'll go start on the sequel: Tikki Tikki Two: Chang's Revenge. I'm not sure how it will go, but I feel a trip down the well for good old mom before page 3.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heffernhyphen* 
Here's another classic for you: Tikki Tikki Tembo. Yes, it has a lovely rhythm and cadence for little ears, but MAN, what a message it carries along as well.

Um. Are you saying you thought the mom's behavior was presented in a positive light? 'Cause I thought the mom was obviously intended to be the "bad guy."


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## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *water* 
The Giving Tree

The (female) tree gives EVERYTHING, including her entire body (thus life) to the man, who still isn't happy (it's not enough for him). And then he SITS ON HER at the end, and she is happy.

Gag. I read this again as an adult and was like, omg, my kids are not reading this!









:

and the curious george abc story. well, i just don't like *part* of it. when it comes to the letter X. it says X stands for "Xmas" and that santa means xmas...or something to that effect.







(we dont even do santa in our house so that really bugs me.) i usually just make something up at the part.

and im not a green eggs and ham fan either. mainly because we're a vegetarian household


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnysideup* 
Um. Are you saying you thought the mom's behavior was presented in a positive light?


No matter how many times I re-read my post, I can't for the life of me see where you gathered that?









To be clear, I'm saying the mom is an evil psycho bitch who deserves a watery death in the bottom of the well, hence my joke about the sequel where Chang gets his revenge.

What a great example of how we misinterpret what others are saying here at the MDC.


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 
I think it's weird how many people think the mother in _Runaway Bunny_ is too controlling. (It's been mentioned before in threads like this.) It's about a _little_ bunny, not a bunny who's grown up and ready to get his own apartment. If you were a little kid thinking about running away, would you want your mom to just shrug and say, "Okay, bye, it was nice knowing you?" If your 3 year old did run away, wouldn't you search the world and do whatever it took to find her again?

Yeah! I don't get that either. I love that book, especially the illustrations. It seems reassuring, too. No matter how far away you run, mama will be there to gather you up and love you.


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## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heffernhyphen* 
No matter how many times I re-read my post, I can't for the life of me see where you gathered that?










yeah really! how strange!







:


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heffernhyphen* 
No matter how many times I re-read my post, I can't for the life of me see where you gathered that?









To be clear, I'm saying the mom is an evil psycho bitch who deserves a watery death in the bottom of the well, hence my joke about the sequel where Chang gets his revenge.

I think I get what Sunnysideup meant (though I haven't read the book so maybe I'm missing something.) Since you said you didn't like the book's message, I think she wondered if you thought the message was that it was okay for the mother to act as she did. Because if you thought it was clear that the mother was a "bad guy," then wouldn't the book's message be that she was wrong, and wouldn't that be a message you would agree with?


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 
Since you said you didn't like the book's message, I think she wondered if you thought the message was that it was okay for the mother to act as she did. Because if you thought it was clear that the mother was a "bad guy," then wouldn't the book's message be that she was wrong, and wouldn't that be a message you would agree with?

exactly!


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## Neth Naneth (Aug 11, 2006)

Wow, I decided to take a break and check out MDC . . . what a thread to come across.









It is long and I will admit some of these books I have not heard of, some I honestly love, and there were a few that I didn't notice.

I guess a book is going to affect each person differently.

I didn't know a person could not like Good Night Moon.









I was surprised though that no one mentions 3 books that I think about at xmas time but have not intention of reading my DS.

* The Christmas Tree - I always felt sad







for the tree.
* The Velveteen Rabbit - I have a stuffed animal that I was extremely attached to (I still have him) and when ever I got sick







: I worried that he might catch it too







: .
* The Little Match Girl - I could handle reading that now as an adult but as a child I just wasn't about to understand it and found it disturbing.







:

I want to personally apologize to anyone who loves these books. I don't have anything about the literature. Please don't be mad.







:

On a happier note, a book that I want to get for my DS is Hug.

Now I know if you were to read it you might feel that it is really repetitive but I really liked it.


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## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *root*children* 
I've never met anyone else who's heard of the Smoke Off poem!! I'm glad you reminded me of how it goes. I was just remembering him rhyming all the strains







I haven't read it since college, when I actually had it posted in my dorm room









gosh, thanks!







: i loved that pearly sweetcakes won the contest (you go girl!), and then rolled up the calistoga kid and smoked him, too. as to the strains, i always wondered whether he made some of them up (like "alaska cold").









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heffernhyphen* 
Here's another classic for you: Tikki Tikki Tembo. Yes, it has a lovely rhythm and cadence for little ears, but MAN, what a message it carries along as well.

i actually couldn't stand the repetition







: "tikki tikki tembo no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo" would ring in my head like a barry manilow song, unwelcome and taking up space long after i managed to make the book disappear. even now i can remember it ((with a little help from dh, who remembers it even though he is known for forgetting the names of his own cousins' spouses and children (but then he does have 56 1st cousins)), and yet i can't get through the grocery store without forgetting things.


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## momoffaith5 (Jul 27, 2006)

pixiepunk said:


> 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.


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## coleslaw (Nov 11, 2002)

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.


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## kamesennin (Jan 3, 2005)

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


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Quote:


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.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

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 . . . .


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

Ohh long post haven't read past the first two yest







so probably lots of contrversy







but.

Quote:

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...


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

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


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## knowerofnada (Dec 4, 2006)

Quote:


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]


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## knowerofnada (Dec 4, 2006)

Quote:


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.


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## pinksprklybarefoot (Jan 18, 2007)

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)


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## smocklets (Jan 11, 2007)

Quote:


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!


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## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


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!


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## Momily (Feb 15, 2007)

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!!!!


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## warriorprincess (Nov 19, 2001)

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.


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## Stinkerbell (Aug 11, 2005)

Quote:


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.


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

Quote:


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.


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## malibusunny (Jul 29, 2003)

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"


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## spero (Apr 22, 2003)

Quote:


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.


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## malibusunny (Jul 29, 2003)

Quote:


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.


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## Moochie Mamma (Jan 23, 2006)

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


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## kamesennin (Jan 3, 2005)

.


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## CherryBomb (Feb 13, 2005)

Well I'm sure this has been mentioned, but I really hate "I'm a Big Sister" (I think that's the title). Baby is bottlefed, of course, and it never ONCE shows the mom holding it! It's held by dad when it's being fed, but other than that it's in a stroller or walker. Yuck. I hate that freaking book.

I don't like Walter the Farting Dog but DD1 thinks it's hilarious and she's at the age where bodily functions are terribly amusing so I let it slide


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## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

Quote:


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.

Yeah...I just read this in the bookstore today, to see what all the fuss was about. I did NOT see it as a book about "conforming" at all. My reading was exactly the same as yours--that he didn't want to be friends with the plain fish BECAUSE they were plain, but then learned the value of sharing.

I also read Goodnight Gorilla, which I thought was a hoot. My only complaint is that it's set in a zoo (I'm not a big fan of animal captivity), but what are you gonna do?

As for people who think In the Night Kitchen is about masturbation because of the "free-flowing milky liquids"...erm, wow. And the "phallic" milk bottle? Have you seen a milk bottle that isn't phallic? Now, if it were a breast-shaped milk bottle...THAT would be something.


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## CherryBomb (Feb 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SummerLover* 
I happened across this while looking for information about the author of The Paper Bag Princess, one of my favorite books.

http://robertmunsch.com/books.cfm?bookid=40

The only book I've come across that I just couldn't bring myself to read to my dd was Junie B Jones.

Wow, that's so powerful it brought me to tears! I think that book is sweet, and I adore Robert Munsch! Of course if you take it literally it's creepy, but I think it's been well established that it's not supposed to be  I don't buy books like that for my kids simply because I can't read them without bawling! Paper Bag Princess is one of my all time faves, though dd1 doesn't seem to apperciate it yet


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## mykidsrock (Jun 21, 2005)

Quote:


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.

ME TOO!!!!! I hate Junie's antics as well, she is always bisbehaving.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Here's one I just "read" and am in no hurry to open again: Good Dog, Carl. I put "read" in quotes because it mostly doesn't have words, just pictures that force you to supply the story. And I'll have to work harder next time to come up with something better than this:

Okay, so the Mommy goes to work and leaves the baby home alone in her crib with a Rotteweiler as babysitter. The giant potentially deadly creature lifts the baby out of the crib and spends the day doing various life-threatening activities such as lowering her into the aquarium, dropping her down the laundry chute, submerging her in a bathtub and blasting a blowdryer in her face. But it's all good because by the time Mommy comes home, he has stealthily cleaned up all evidence of their shared naughtiness and Mom is none the wiser.

I'll tell you, you should have seen DS's eyes light up when he saw that the laundry chute is in reality a secret roller coaster. mental note: get child-proof latch on laundry chute, TODAY!


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## Dov'sMom (Jan 24, 2007)

My two cents after reading this thread:

The Giving Tree always gave me the shudders. It takes a good book to do that -- but there is no way I would call it a children's book.

Felix -- I see what you mean about "No, David," though I always laugh when I think about it. It's the favorite of one of my friend's toddlers, probably because he is incredibly mischievous and identifies with David. So I was reading it to him one day and asking him questions about the different pictures. You know the page when David goes running naked in the streets? So I ask the toddler what's wrong with that, and he says "David doesn't have any shoes on!"









Runaway Bunny -- I don't mind the message, but the execution is annoying. Blow you whereever I want you to go? FISH for you? How about become a trout and swim along with you? Become a sailor and travel with you whereever YOU want to go?

The Story of Ping -- I only read it once, and a long time ago, but as I recall, it's very honest about the awful parts of growing up on the Yellow River as a duck raised for food. Being hit with a stick was part of that. The reality is that we hit animals -- if you don't want to talk about that with your dc, fine, but I think the book is a great way to start a conversation.


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## SwissMama (Sep 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *g&a* 
OK, I LOVE kids books, but some of them have storylines I don't agree with.

Curious George - ok, I've only read the one book, but they tricked and kidnapped a monkey. Need I say more. They also threw the man with the yellow hat out on the street because he had a pet (out on the street seems harsh). They threw the monkey in jail becasue he called a wrong number - the fire dept. (also harsh punishment).










You forgot the part about the monkey SMOKING - having a pipe before he goes to bed.


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## SwissMama (Sep 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *felix23* 







: The mom in I love you forever needs to cut the apron strings and let her son grow up. I really hate that book, it is just creepy.


"Love you forever" - ditto. Creeped the hell out of me. For people who say we are "taking it too literally" and you don't understand the creepiness - that's fine. You're reading too much into our dislike. I'm not talking about interpretting messages for my child, I'm just saying it creeped *ME* out.

I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind it, but actually I get irked reading any Robert Munsch books, they just grate on me. Sorry. We have thousands of other books to choose from, so thats ok. It's a fun thread, and good to see there are other people that wrinkled their noses at some of the same books that I have.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SwissMama* 
. . . actually I get irked reading any Robert Munsch books, they just grate on me.


Not Paperbag Princess! You MUST love that one or we'll revoke your MDC card.


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## g&a (Dec 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SwissMama* 







You forgot the part about the monkey SMOKING - having a pipe before he goes to bed.

Oh ya, I forgot about that part!! I think it's just from a different era when smoking was much more ok. It's just kind of wierd for a monkey, but C.G. does all sorts of stuff that's wierd for a monkey!! I can't figure out why he needs pyjamas when he runs around all day with nothing on.

g.


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## g&a (Dec 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *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.

I agree with the stories being great jumping-off points for conversations, as long as your kid is old enough to have those conversations, and you want to have those particular discussions (and have time and energy for it). My DD is 2 1/2 and not ready for some of it, so we just avoid the books (for now).

I thought of another one: Jack and the beanstalk. The story irks me. First of all we're supposed to feel bad for Jack who made a bad decision about the beans. I agree, as a mom, I would be mad. Perhaps I'd handle it differently (make bean soup), but I'd be mad. I also think that perhaps the mom gave him more responsability than he could handle and should cut him some slack. Barbara Coloroso would ask him how he was going to fix the situation. But I digress......

Then he goes up the beanstalk and starts stealing stuff from the giant. Stealing is bad, even from mean people. The poor giant can't do anything right. When he gets upset about being stolen from they cut down the beanstalk and kill him. Jack didn't find out until afterwards that the giant had stolen from them in the first place.

I just like to think about the stories instead of just reading the words, and that's what this thread is about.

g.


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## aywilkes (Sep 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiepunk* 
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.

Same message I received and relayed to my ds.


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## Neth Naneth (Aug 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pbandj* 
My mom thinks dd needs to say please more, so she got her a book that was called Say Please. Jeez she is only 2, I don't think it is necessary for her to say please all day long. I tossed that book, it was horrible.

Moms can be silly.









You know every time that I read this thread I consider suggesting a Children's Books I Love! but then I think about the fact that people will say I love BOOK. Then someone will say I hate BOOK.







:

I have found some really neat books because of this thread though.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jun 22, 2006)

I pretty much hate all the "Mommy (occasionally Daddy too) loves you SOOO MUCH! I love you more than anything in the world! You're loved! We love you!" books. Children who are loved know that they are loved. They don't need a picture book to tell them that, and IME the books tend to bore them. I always think those books just give the parents a chance to feel mawkish and self-congratulatory about what wonderful, loving parents they are toward their wonderful, special children.


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## Caittune (Aug 2, 2006)

I haven't been able to read all 11 pages of this thread, but it is interesting to see other's prespectives.

I absolutely detest all the "noisy" books that my MIL bought my DD. There is the zoo train and another colours one that are extremely loud. One is now residing under my couch and the other is reserved for those extra special messy diapers.

I also dislike some of the touch and feel books. There is one that starts out with a picture of a lion and says "the lion is the king of the jungle" Um...lions don't live in the jungle!


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## jomomma (Jun 24, 2004)

I have to agree about the Love You, Forever book. It's just plain creepy. And the little runaway bunny wouldn't want to run away if his mother would just give him some freakin' space. Let the poor bunny breathe, for Peter Rabbit's sake.

My least favorite books (though my dd is totally engrossed with them, and I do mean enGROSSED) are the Disney princess books. We tried successfully for over 3 years to keep them out of our home and then, lo and behold, we had a birthday party that rained down princess schlock in buckets. Why are their lives always so dismal and repairable only with the aid of some singing, royal forest-stalker in tights? A friend's daughter recently asked her mother, "When are you going to die?". Understandably, the friend was a little taken aback and asked her daughter what brought this question on. Her daughter (only 3, by the way) answered that all the princesses' mommies were dead, so she naturally assumed her own mother would be going the way of the dodo soon. She wasn't upset by the idea; if anything, she seemed completely unfazed -- having accepted the untimely demise of her beloved mother as simply being the way of the world. Thank you Hans, Walt and those oh-so-entertaining and aptly named Grimm boys.

Other books I ain't too keen on a-readin' are Spotty (absolutely horrible! - one of the rabbits in a litter of approximately a billion little white bunnies comes out with appalling brown spots. Because he is different, his mother's friends and sisters speak badly of him, shun him and invariably he is left home alone while everyone else trots off to his grandfather's birthday party because the mother is ashamed of him and certain the horrid old grandfather bunny won't love him. There is a "happy ending", but my kid is fairly sensitive -- she'd break down in tears if we read this in our house.). Equally, Millions of Cats would have the same effect. A childless, elderly couple decide to adopt a cat. News spreads among the feline community and millions of cats, all eager and anxious to be the couple's pet show up on their doorstep to vie for the honor. The couple explains they can only choose one which leads to an all out death match (literally) among the kit-kats, who claw and bite one another until only one scrawny kitten who hid under a bush remains. Pleasant, no? I remember this being a Weekly Reader pick when I was in kindergarten, I think. Granted, that was many moons ago -- when dynamite and shotguns were the usual props in children's cartoons.

I have to say, I just don't get In the Night Kitchen and I can't stand the wickedly depressed completely vacuous mother in Outside Over There.

Some absolutely GREAT books however -
Our all time favorite - I Know the Moon (really, the most beautiful kids' book I've ever had the pleasure of reading)
The Widow's Broom (it may sound horrible, but the image of a ghostly, axe-carrying broom roaming the forest late at night just makes me smile and smile - trust me, it's funny)
Busy Night (got my daughter to stop being afraid of giant lobster monsters that occasionally liked to take up residence under her bed -- have no idea where that came from)
The Hidden Treasure (if you love gardening and aren't so keen on laziness, you'll like this one)
and Monster, Monster (teaches kids that things are not always what they seem)
oh, and The Big Orange Splat (celebrating diversity, acceptance and art all in just a few short pages).
Of course, I like these books for their messages, but mostly, because they're fun to read.
Just throwin' my 5 cents in (I babbled on way too long for it to be just 2).


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## jomomma (Jun 24, 2004)

Corrections, corrections -
It's The Big Orange Splot (not splat) by D. Manus Pinkwater
and The Buried Treasure (not hidden) by Djemma Bider. One more my daugher (and my dh and I) love is Guess How Much I Love You. Too sweet!


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

I love The Big Orange Splot, too. I used to love to read it LOUDLY on my front porch, especially when my horrible neighbors were out. If only I had the courage to paint bulldozers and naked ladies on my house! It would be so worth it just to see the looks on their faces.


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## mommymarliah (Jun 29, 2004)

I bought this book based on the awesome reviews it had on Amazon and because it was about a lion with special needs "Leo The LAte Bloomer"

I HATE this book. So much so that when I got it I put it aside and never let the kids see it. Its about this lion who can't talk and in the end finally does, the part everyone leaves out in the reviews is the section of the book where Leos father decides "to stop watching Leo and watch tv instead" and there are like four pages of the book where it says over and over blah, blah, blah, "leos father still wasnt watching"

It pretty much made dads of SN kids out to be ignorant TV watching creeps (and my DH is FAR from that). I was pissed. I couldnt believe a book that bashed fathers so badly was given such high reviews. I still have it hidden away. Why I don;t know. I should throw it away. No one should read that trash.


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## Benji'sMom (Sep 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CherryBomb* 
Well I'm sure this has been mentioned, but I really hate "I'm a Big Sister" (I think that's the title). Baby is bottlefed, of course, and it never ONCE shows the mom holding it! It's held by dad when it's being fed, but other than that it's in a stroller or walker. Yuck. I hate that freaking book.


We had the same one for big brothers. Litterally the baby is in the stroller outside, and anytime he's inside, he's strapped into the carseat.







Why would a baby be strapped into a carseat while wide awake and "playing" with his big brother?







:


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommymarliah* 
. . .about a lion with special needs "Leo The LAte Bloomer"



Interesting how we all have our own perspectives and can read the same book with such different eyes. Bear in mind, I haven't read it in a while, but I didn't see it AT ALL like you describe.

First off, I don't see Leo as having "special needs," I just thought he had his own individual time table. And I thought the father was adorable, pretending not to watch, but so interested in his own kid that he couldn't help it. Some parents feel a lot of pressure if their kid isn't performing according to "the experts" milestone calendar.

Our DS definitely has his own time table. He did everything late, but eventually he did get there. I think this book is a fun reassurance that even if Zoe walked at 10 months and your DC is still figuring it out at 17 months (like my kid), it's okay. They'll get there, even if you don't stress out and watch them every second.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heffernhyphen* 
First off, I don't see Leo as having "special needs," I just thought he had his own individual time table. And I thought the father was adorable, pretending not to watch, but so interested in his own kid that he couldn't help it. Some parents feel a lot of pressure if their kid isn't performing according to "the experts" milestone calendar.

Yeah, that was my take on it too.


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## mchalehm (Feb 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *g&a* 
I don't understand the appeal of Goodnight Moon either, but toddlers LOVE LOVE LOVE it, so it stays in our house. Sometimes it doesn't have to make sense to be a good book.

g.

I like "Goodnight Moon"--I think it's the page that says, "Good night, nobody." There's just something so funny about it.


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## monkeys4mama (Apr 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Daffodil* 
I think it's weird how many people think the mother in _Runaway Bunny_ is too controlling. (It's been mentioned before in threads like this.) It's about a _little_ bunny, not a bunny who's grown up and ready to get his own apartment. If you were a little kid thinking about running away, would you want your mom to just shrug and say, "Okay, bye, it was nice knowing you?" If your 3 year old did run away, wouldn't you search the world and do whatever it took to find her again?

OK, so this has absolutely NOTHING to do with books, but your question reminded me of something... When my brother and I were little kids, we got mad at my mom and told her we were running away. She packed us sandwiches and apples and wrapped them up in red bandanas which she tied to the end of stick for each of us.









We left the house but couldn't figure out where to go so we sat down on the front boulevard in front of our house (a very quiet little residential neighborhood). We were laying out there on the grass eating our sandwiches when my aunt and uncle came over with our cousins to bring us "May baskets". That was the end of our "running away".


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## KermitMissesJim (Feb 12, 2004)

OT--warriorprincess, I love your sig. One of my big pet peeves, handled with humor. Love it.


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## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

Maybe I am alone in this, but I am just so sick and tired of books always having to have a "moral" or teach some stupid lesson.

This is why I love the Richard Scarry books we have. They're just filled with life, and how stuff works, and cool drawings!!

But I just disagree so strongly with little kids being preached at all of the time - although thankfully, I think my child doesn't even notice it most of the time (He's 3). But I have had to eliminate so many books from our repertoire because of this - some of those older books are really bad. In order to teach kids a lesson, they are either beaten or threatened with it!

But anyway, I just wish books didn't focus so much on that... why do all of these books try to instill morals in my kid? That's my job. Lay off it!

Although I do have to admit that every I read "Because a person's a person, no matter how small!" in Horton Hears a Who, it does bring tears to my eyes.







:


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## malibusunny (Jul 29, 2003)

"As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be" from yertle the turtle does the same thing to me (I read it to my high school students every Dr. Suess day and we talk about Dr. Suess as a political activist, so it's fresh in my mind).


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## monkeys4mama (Apr 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *g&a* 
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.



I am perplexed by this response to this book. It's supposed to be FUNNY. It's over the top, not serious. The whole point of it is the absolute absurdity of the story and the ridiculous lengths Sam goes to. Kids think it's silly fun. I think it's silly fun. And sometimes humor is a way to get through to people of all ages with a message. In this case, the message is simple, "you might like something if you actually tried it". I don't see anything so awful about that.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntNi* 
Love You Forever. The big guy in his mother's lap just creeps me out.

I liked this book _*UNTIL*_ we received a copy from my MIL!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Gorilla

It's the page that says, "Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight." It's fun to read. (Yeah, looks kinda boring just in text, I know!)


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *formerluddite* 
and amelia bedelia: stupid is not that funny to me.

She's not necessarily stupid; she's just very literal. "Dust the furniture" means put dust on it, and "string the beans" means put strings on them! A "shower" for a guest means just that......shower her with water.

We find the books hilarious!


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## chefpaige1 (Jul 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boatbaby* 
There aren't any i HATE at the moment...

BUT - I never understood the appeal of...

Goodnight Moon
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Olivia
Moo-Baa-La-La
Goodnight Gorilla

You've gotta read the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom with a rhythm. That's the whole fun of the book! Clap along or bounce while you read it rhythmically. Fun!


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## dharmamama (Sep 19, 2004)

I just asked my five-year-old daughter, Ramona, whether she likes the book Rainbow Fish. She said yes. I said, "What do you like about it?"

While banging furiously on a blob of playdough with a hammer, and without even looking at me, she said,

Quote:


Originally Posted by *My daughter Ramona*
I like that even though Rainbow Fish is mean to the little fish, he [the little fish] keeps coming back and asking for what he needs. You always tell me to do that. And I like that Rainbow Fish finds out that he can do something to make the other fish happy, because he didn't really know that at the beginning of the book. But he found out that he could do something good for the world.

Namaste!


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
It's the page that says, "Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight." It's fun to read. (Yeah, looks kinda boring just in text, I know!)

I had one kid who would laugh hysterically at the teeth in the dark. Dc would clamp his teeth together and say, kind of in a muffled laugh, 'Hi. It's just me". Cracked himself up daily for quite a long time...


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## North_Of_60 (May 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AuntNi* 
Love You Forever. The big guy in his mother's lap just creeps me out.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *felix23* 







: The mom in I love you forever needs to cut the apron strings and let her son grow up. I really hate that book, it is just creepy.

Ah, I love that book.







My mom gave it to me after DD was born, and it made me cry. It was touching to see someone want to hold her baby, and even more touching to see that mama nurturing attitude carried out past infancy (something that is lacking from both mine and my husband's family).


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