Friday, February 13, 2009

Classic Fairytales For Children.. Seriously??

I'm looking down the barrel of 40. It has been eons since I've heard or read a fairytale and my vague memories of them are warm and fuzzy with "Happily Ever After" endings. For 3 weeks now DH and I have been reading bedtime stories and I have ONE question:

What were those freaky writers on and WHY are these horrid stories being read to children before bed?

(Sorry, that was 2 questions).

*The Gingerbread Man is a whack job on speed.

*Hansel and Gretel's dad basically left them for dead (thanks to a nasty step mom) and were fattened by a witch that wanted to eat them.

*Goldilocks forced entry.

*Jack (of Beanstalk fame) is beyond greedy.

*Cinderella was neglected and verbally abused.

*The wolf in the 3 Little Pigs was obsessive compulsive. And mean.

*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs .. where do I start?

Although Jack and Jill may be too young, we've started to read Paddington. Now THERE is a classic.


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9 comments:

Kendra Field said...

Want the BEST bedtime story ever? Llama Llama Red Pajama. (after that there's always "Llama Llama Mad at Mama" but Red Pajama is the best. Enjoy the kiddos!

Lisa Samples said...

I would have to say The Giving Tree is the BEST children's book ever written. It will make you cry...enter to win it at The Giving Tree
Lisa

cloudmaster said...

I agree with Kendra. The Llama Llama books are great and there is a new one coming out in the next month or so..

As far as your rant.....don't forget wonderland with the Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit and Alice.

Snow Mommy said...

Kevin Henkes books are our favorites, they are ones that the kids enjoy, and parents don't mind reading a million times.
I totally agree, some of those fairy tales are whacked out, and if you get an old book, they are very politically incorrect!

Tiff said...

I have a Mother Goose book from my childhood, and I refuse to read some of them to my kids because they are just too creepy. And Rock a bye baby? The stuff of nightmares!
I agree, the Llama Llama books are great!

Harold said...

You are too funny!

I'm glad you are enjoying the kiddos :)

Eva Carper said...

I've been making a list of books to buy, but I agree about the writers of some of the classics?? Are these really the best thing for children to be reading??

I was reading a Toy Story book to a 5 yr old at the nursery and before I realized it I had read the word "stupid". A word we ask the children not to say. She pointed that out to me, "That's a bad word, we don't say that."

Scolded by a 5 yr old

Bren said...

Um, HELLOOOOO!!! Curious George, baby!!! He was MY FAV!!!

-Bren

Irene J Harvey said...

Wonderful that you are reading kids books. I do that myself sometimes,and I agree that most of them are not really suitable for young children, especially at bedtime.
To put a small part of this problem right, I am now the author of a new children's bedtime story book. It has ten stories, features a Car, a merry-go-round and lots of happy children. Nothing to disturb a youngsters mind when trying to get to sleep.
Maybe you would like to look at it.
Irene Harvey
http://eloquentbooks.com/WilliamtheFairgroundCar.html

 

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