Surprise non-PC stories

[RacingSnake]

Just been brought a present for 3-year-old DD from France. Was fascinated to see, firstly, that it was written in a font resembling joined-up handwriting, then that it was filled with events quite to someone familiar with UK books for that age group.

The heroine is first sent to stand in the corner for making a mess in the kitchen, then has her bottom smacked for giving a rather mild bit of 'clever' backchat to her mother.

She is seen on the last page belabouring the derriere of her poor teddy, on whom she blames the whole sorry story.

This made me realise how 'politically correct' (not necessarily in a bad way) most of our children's literature is. Full of caring characters being nice to each other.

[peanutbutterkid]

I'll tell you what gets me in many of the books we read ... it's kids going off to have adventures by themselves... with NO SUPERVISING ADULTS. Which was totally ordinary when I was a kid, from the age of 5 or so and the sorts of books I'm thinking of are marketed at children age 5+ but it's very unusual for most children age 5+ to actually have that freedom to play out nowadays.

I don't know whether to laugh or sigh about it .

And I like Thomas The TE stories precisely because they take turns trying to one-up each other (just like my real children do). And then the train characters get their comeuppance (not always so true in real life, sadly!)

[RacingSnake]

Yes, many heros are orphans/on holiday/at boarding school. Otherwise the plots would never work.

[jamaisjedors]

I agree peanutbutterkid.

When I read bog baby to my 2 DS I worry about them going off to find a pond on their own!

[GrumpyYoungFogey]

Speaking of Thomas the TE, the original "Henry's Sneeze" story from the Railway Series was rather un-PC.

[LauraIngallsWilder]

DD has a lovely edition of the Babar stories (the origonal ones) But......

I didnt read or here them as a child so was quite shocked to come across the parts of the sotories featuring 'savages'

And also shocked by the way Babar and the elephants acquire clothes, build a town and essentially become 'civilised'