You Can't Read That Book

There are several lists out there of books that at one time or another have been banned in certain community schools, libraries and society as a whole at different times in history.  It's  interesting to examine the lists and read the books that are on it. In many cases you have read these books many times and are quite surprised to see it on the list and when you see the reason it was banned are further baffled.   Of course, for the most part  these books aren't banned anymore but it makes me think about how it occurred, did the librarian quietly remove the book from the  shelves putting it in a desk draw under papers so no one would even know to read it.  Or  was it set out on display with a sign saying, THIS BOOK IS BANNED, DO NOT READ! And did that make it all the more appealing, were readers curious, did a copy get passed around on the sly?  How many took the warning at face value and never opened the book and how many thought this is a decision I should make for myself and my child?  As we all know that someone saying DON'T makes us want to do it all the more.

It's funny how at one time a book that was forbidden  becomes beloved.  The perfect example of that would be....Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  When it was first published people were afraid of it because it shows the boy experiencing anger and yelling at his mom, evidently a big NO NO.   Today, it is on the list of top 100 must read children's books, way at the top.  And they made a movie!  My son loved that book and I must of read it to him 50 times.  It never occurred to me that is was inspiring him to misbehave, my guess is that he came up with that entirely on his own.

I think much of the worry is the same premise as cartoons.  When we watch them when we are young we laugh at the violence and nothing about it scares us.  I can remember watching Looney Toons as an adult and the violence bothered me, made me uncomfortable and I just didn't enjoy it as much as I did as a child.  But do I think children shouldn't watch them, of course not.  In fact it is a gift that there are adults that write and create media for children that speaks to them and their fears.  everywhere we will  all be better off.  There is a book by Audrey Woods titled Heckedy Peg and it is a story about a mother who's children are kidnapped and turned into different kinds of food by a wicked witch.  The mother has to determine which  food is what child by knowing their personality.  It kind of sounds gruesome but my son loved this book and took comfort in the story and the outcome because of course the Mother knows her children and gets it right.  He requested that I read this story to him over and over again.  Children learn and confront their taboos in different ways then we do and the sooner we start realizing  that in school, at home and everywhere we will all be better off.

One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is The Lorax and can you believe it is also on the list?  It  was a metaphor for the environment when people in 1971 did not want to hear it.  Ironically, it was recently published that half of our wildlife has disappeared in the last 40 years.  Maybe we should of paid attention and everything you need to know IS in a children's book.

So, content and how it fits into your world is completely up to you.    Instead of getting upset about a little Lorax that wants you to be more responsible with the environment consider this book that was published in Great Britain in 1929.  It is titled... The Big Book of Nursery Tales and the first story is Cinderella and on the last page  it says:

"May I try on the slipper?" asked Cinderella, peeping in at the door.

"You! you little kitchen slut! shrieked her sisters:  "who ever heard of such impertience!"  But Cinderella took the glass slipper and put her pretty little foot in; it was a perfect fit.

 It seems like that would be a little more difficult to explain to your child than  why a Lorax thinks we should take care of our earth. 

Visit www.blisstree.com to view one of the lists of controversial Picture Books, it's an interesting read and more importantly it's your freedom.

A New Book to Look For...

Herve' Tullet did it again!  His new book, Mix it Up, was published recently.  If you are a fan of Push Here you are going to love this book.  In a world of everything electronic here is a book that interacts with the reader in a "natural" way with just words and pictures on paper.   As I finished reading the last page and carefully closed the book, I said out loud...he is a genius.  A CREATIVE GENIUS!

Mr. Tullet was born in Normandy in 1958.  He worked as an Art Director for 10 years.  In 1994 his first book for children was published and since then his books are a favorite among children and adults. Lucky for us they are translated from French so that we can enjoy them here in the U.S.

There are many Herve Tullet books to choose from so go to your favorite book seller and start collecting, there is even a Push Here Game.   Children will love receiving this book as a gift.