Am I being a killjoy about this school book?

Go be 'that parent'! Do it nicely, constructively and with your own donations - it will be fine.

This is a really low quality book. It looks like one of those cheap, contract produced books from 'The Works' - it doesn't have an author on the front cover for example. It's not like you are asking them to ban The Taming of the Shrew. This book has no redeeming value and looks like it was produced on the cheap with little thought.

Schools don't usually buy books from The Works. I wonder if this book found it's way into school by way of a donation - someone gave the school a big box of unwanted books and a TA sorted through them, and kept the ones in good condition. It may well be an over sight that it found it's way into the class (?) / school (?) library rather than someone thinking it was a good thing for children to read.

We have this book at home. I have no idea where it came from and it is of course my dds' favorite book much of the time. I have simply taken a large black marker to every page and changed the storylines to make them acceptable. DD1 sometimes asks why the print is different and I tell her it's because the original story was rubbish so I have improved it. Great fun to re-write this sort of book I find.

That is breathtakingly awful. I have complained about books in the past, especially this one. It amazes me that shit like that gets published.

Oh God! I actually can not believe that books like that are still written, never mind distributed in schools! The fact that girls are being taught that if they don't 'play nice' and wear the dress and the silk slippers they won't be accepted is APPALLING!

What about, "The princess, in her jeans, sat down to talk to the Prince and he realised that she was bright, funny and intelligent, and kind to other people, and that what she was wearing did not matter."

In this day and age, surely this is the message we should be giving to our daughters.

I tend to (to my shame) be quite laid back about feminism matters, but am horrified by this.

I think you should voice your disquiet about the book - schools sometimes buy in packs so not every teacher has seen the content of every book.

I certainly complained about one book my DS was given (for totally different reasons) and it was quietly reassessed (it was OK for older children but it vanished from the KS1 buckets).

Do you have a reading journal? If you put a note in about the reading being fine, but you hope that your daughter doesn't take the message about being pretty in order to get a man too seriously, the teacher should get the hint.

If I had sent that book home I would be mortified.

I am appalled. what a vile book. Who coordinates the library/ parents into read at the school? Keep hold of the book, and next time you go in to read, catch them, and show it to them. try 'perhaps you haven't seen this one'. I would try to keep it informal.... ie not make an appointment if poss. good luck. I have also been wondering whether to complain about the bratz our school has for free play.

Donating a couple of books is a great idea.
If you think they'll see you as that parent (which sadly they might do), then just be a laughing and light-hearted as possible about it. Maybe praise lavishly some of their better books (while adding your donations, of course), so that you can cheerfully point out that this rather dire non-event of a 'story' won't be missed...
Good luck!

I liked how they made sure to include a wide range of ethnicities whilst spewing that gender-role crap. How PC!

IF you were looking at this book with an older child you could use it as a great starting point for a discussion about stereotypes, gender roles, etc etc. However, you just want your 4 year old to read and enjoy good stories really, don't you? Speaking as a teacher, I'd be very grateful to any parent for bringing this utter drivel to my attention and would happily chuck it in the bin immediately! Iwouln't think of you as being "that parent" - not precious or pushy at all to challenge the school about this! There's certainly no literary merit in it either, is there?

Yep, I'd be that parent too.
Perhaps suggest an alternative. the princess knight is very good, DD loved it.

Good god, I can't believe they would let that shite in a school. Any teacher worth their salt would get rid of it. Am going to check at our school they haven't got this book. Be proud to be "that parent"