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Original poster

the most overrated childrens books

163 replies

swottybetty · 21/11/2009 14:01

two thomas tank books have somehow made their way into our house. pre-kids i really had no idea just how shite they are. even the bloody drawings are awful. why does my otherwise discerning dd love them so much?

and that feckin beatrix potter? were there no other kids books published at the time thus they achieved popularity simply by existing? seeing as there are loads and loads of kids books now, surely publishers can just write BP off as a unseemly blot on the otherwise wonderful world of childrens books

OP posts:
Aranea · 21/11/2009 21:52

I think Dr Seuss is meant for them to read when they're learning, isn't it? Dd1 is reading One Fish, Two Fish to me at the moment and she is so pleased with herself. It's very well done I think for beginning readers. I mean, god, compared with bloody Biff and Kipper...

homicidalmummymaniac · 21/11/2009 21:48

I love reading Dr Seuss but sometimes think dd gets a bit bored by it. I think you have to read the stories yourself...not so great for listening to (as a bedtime story).

I have put dd's set of Mr Men books at the back of the cupboard - they are sooooo boring! Sentences are so repetitive and the illustrations are dull.

Never read a Thomas book...yet....

We read The Enormous Crocoldile this evening - this is the way toy go,good balance of bedtime story that is both enjoyable to listen to and read, also great illustrations by Quentin Blake

SoMuchToBits · 21/11/2009 21:46

I also agree with Dr Seuss and Mr Men - although surprisingly loads of kids love Dr`Seuss, judging by the number of books which get taken out of ds's school library (at which I help).

Original Thomas books are ok, but modern retellings are very boring. I have no problem with language etc in Beatrix Potter, but just have an irrational hatred of little animals dressed in clothes .

BelleDameSansMerci · 21/11/2009 21:40

Dr Suess - YEUCH! Just awful. Ugly illustrations too.

Bloody Bear Hunt - every bloody night! And, I hate the picture at the end with the poor, lonely bear going home on his own.

MrsMattie · 21/11/2009 21:36

Yep to Mr Men and Thomas.

Aranea · 21/11/2009 21:35

I don't know why but I like Harry Potter . I don't think I can justify it.

Love the idea of Olympian Dr Zeus. Cat in the Hat with a Thunderbolt?

LauraIngallsWilder · 21/11/2009 20:49

Harry Potter - I cant bear them
ditto Mr Men

Please come and join me on this thread.......

happyharry · 21/11/2009 20:44

I must confess to loving bear hunt. Mr men and Little Miss drive me crazy. Also Dr Zeuss.

PrincessToadstool · 21/11/2009 20:33

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badietbuddy · 21/11/2009 20:16

O I love Mog. Except for one, 'Mog in the nighttime' or somehting that is essentially one big trip as you see Mog's dreams...

BlameItOnTheBogey · 21/11/2009 19:54

That's not my [insert random boring thing here].

HATE them with a passion.

Aranea · 21/11/2009 19:53

The bit where the burglar shares a cup of tea with Mog's family is surely supposed to be funny? I like those books very much. I think they're rather dry.

Can't bear Mr Men though. So badly written they make me want to scream.

And I won't hear a word said against Beatrix Potter or AA Milne. What kind of people are you?? Good grief.

cakeywakey · 21/11/2009 19:50

I'm going to come out in defence of We're going on a Bear Hunt, although I do admit to skipping some of the obstacles occasionally The Youtube clip of Michael Rosen performing it is a bit offputting though - his eyes are a bit poppy - so we now stick to reading it.

I'm not keen on reading Thomas books - find them soooooooo boring.

Campaspe · 21/11/2009 19:43

I find the Thomas books pretty awful, though my DD adores them, so we plough through a fair amount of them. I know that anything she loves has its place, but I do try to limit my exposure to those engines...

PrincessToadstool · 21/11/2009 19:33

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choosyfloosy · 21/11/2009 19:32

I'm Special, I'm Me [boak].

PixieOnaLeaf · 21/11/2009 19:29

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DeadTall · 21/11/2009 19:23

My favourite was "Whatever Next?"
DD loved The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed because it makes me yawn uncontrollably every time I read it (or even think about it - I've just yawned twice!)

Bear Hunt is fab - but Guess How Much I Love You makes me want to throw up...

We read all sorts to ours when they were smaller, over & over again, and they both love reading - so it was definitely worth it. Looking back, they soon weeded out the badly written ones themselves.

badietbuddy · 21/11/2009 19:23

Mr Men. Shite shite shite.
And, dare I say it, the Dr Seuss can get a bit tedious as well

choosyfloosy · 21/11/2009 19:21

Thomas. Arse.

Bear Hunt. Torture.

The entire genre of Cute. Guess How Much I Wuv'oo. Big Hugs for Ickle Bears etc. But No Matter What is the exception (except the blurb which is hamfisted).

Winnie the Pooh. Dull and complicated - though I do think that some of the problem is that very young children are given these books because they are out of copyright and therefore extremely cheap to turn into massive merchandising ranges, when in fact they are only appropriate for older children.

But Beatrix Potter - depends on the book. The Fierce Bad Rabbit is beyond genius. Tom Kitten is a masterpiece of uneasy horror. Peter Rabbit great therapy for those finding their siblings a pain. Not really for little kids though.

MrsBadger · 21/11/2009 19:20

DH loathes Topsy and Tim for their 'moral messages' and I have to say I can see hi spoint

loved them as a child though, and so does dd, so there must be somethign in them

JeremyVile · 21/11/2009 19:18

God yes, Bear hunt - hate, hate, hate it.

HumphreyCobbler · 21/11/2009 19:15

Bear Hunt is great. So there.

I agree about Thomas books though, absolutely deadly.

GossipMonger · 21/11/2009 19:11

'Where the wild things are' freaks me and ds out!

I know that it is meant to be a classic though and that a film has been made of it but I doubt we will see it.

MaMight · 21/11/2009 19:09

Beatrix Potter books are wonderful! My 3 yr old adores them and I could read them forever. Dh hates them though...

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