Children’s books you don’t like?

[MagnaDoodle]

Anyone got a book or two that makes them inwardly sigh and weep when DC asks for them?

I had to read my most disliked book today. Burglar Bill. Dirge.

Mine have a trio of dreadful books called something like the Yucky Yeti, The Disgusting Giant, etc. I read them a few times but have refused to read them again. I don’t care if they read them themselves, I would just rather be reading something else! Also, I find the Bewilderwood books deeply tedious and badly written.

Henry gets walled in. Always find that a bit disturbing....

Oh I like Barry the fish with fingers! I really cannot stand we’re going on a bear hunt though - especially when DH reads it with the emphasis in all the wrong places. DS’s favourite book though.

Not a massive fan of David Walliams - he's got a bit of a 'smug' style and his characters are kinda one dimensional. Also he keeps putting references in them that only adults would get and I find that really jarring. There are various examples, but the lastest one spotted was an aside joke about Piers Morgan. 8yo DS was very It added nothing to the story and I had to deal with a 'who's Piers Morgan and why would it be good if he wasn't born?' question.

Holidaylady - Judith Kerr has been really clear that the tiger doesn’t represent the Nazis. It’s just a tiger.

Agree on The Hairy Toe! Bought it for holidays, read it once and promptly put in the hotel 'communal library ', what a pointless story. Hate most of the mister men stories and so disappointed in the Beatrix Potter set as I so loved them as a child.

Currently reading DS1 'danny the champion of the world'and feeling faith restored.

Julia Donaldson, possibly the most over-rated books ever. Terrible doggerel, boring, repetitive and twee.

Whhhaaaaat?! God I love her books, and she is great to see live. I have read and signed loads of her books and songs hundreds of times and still love them. I might be a bit biased by the love that my ds has for her, and when he met her she was lovely with him!

I could quite happily tell Thomas the Tank Engine to fuck off though.

The shitting dinosaur ones. Awful forced rhyme and no story whatsoever but they’re my ds’s favourite so am made to read them every sodding night! Hopefully he’ll learn to read quickly and he can read the dreadful drivel to himself!

Agree re the Thomas books. My heart sinks when they choose the magazine stories (Lego friends/ city/ Star Wars) and where’s Wally as bedtime stories... they’ve been relegated to daytime reading (and they usually forget to ask then 😈)

I hate bear hunt and many of the mr men/Little miss books. Also hate lots of dr Seuss - fox in socks is a particular hate. I like (most) Julia Donaldson though - fun to read and lots of scope for silly voices.

Little rabbit foo foo and any Elmer book.

Also hate David Walliams. Love Roald Dahl.

You Choose
It has no natural end

Any Peppa Pig books, DD makes a bloody beeline for them at the library. Utter drivel and much worse than letting her actually watch it, as at least then I can just walk off and ignore it.

Also, Anthony Browne books (Gorilla/Willy and The Cloud etc). Chilling illustrations and really unsettling. DD loved the one about the Worry Dolls because it had all the dolls names, it just made me feel worried that she would get worried from reading it

Biff, Chip and fucking Kipper. What ridiculous names. And even more ridiculous storylines that don't make any sense. Was the author on LSD?

DH keeps bringing bloody Mr Men and Peppa Pig books home from the charity shop, why why why would he do this?! As pp said there isn't exactly a shortage of good children's books.

DD went through a stage of getting Mr Gum and Horrid Henry books home from school as reading books, I hated both of them. Not had a reading book home this year yet so hopefully it will be something better. I agree about David Walliams books too, something a bit nasty and sinister about them. DD was pretty horrified at the boy in Demon Dentist getting all his teeth pulled out so hopefully won't ask for another one.

The Rainbow Fish.

Nobody likes the titular fish because he has nice shiny scales and they’re all jealous. He hands his nice scales over and then everyone is his friend. What sort of message is that?!

Hating books is ridiculous. They're a window into imagination for our kids and through loving hearing them, they learn to love to read and to imagine and to create.

And all this whining about them not making sense? They're not supposed to, they're childrens stories!

The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep - made me want to claw my eyes out, and the illustrations are awful.

The Annoying Elephant by David Walliams.

Several of the Thomas the Tank Engine books.

Mog and the Granny by Judith Kerr. Mog's family go to America and she has dreams that they meet some scary "person birds" (ie. native Americans).

I stated making a list but it was too long!

Disappointed in Julia Donaldson. For a modern author there’s a lot of sexism in her books.

Ant and bee. It's the only present DS has been given that I have thrown away. Basically ant and bee are playing when it starts raining. A man in a van comes along and asks them if they want to get into his van to stay dry. When it's finished raining ant and Bee give the man a kiss to thank him. Not a great message for a child.

Peppa Pig, it's tedious as fuck to watch, but to read is just too awful.

Beatrix Potter, and anything with bad doggerel verse (Madeleine, for example).

I also can't stand reading Mr Men/Little Miss and the Cat in the Hat or Cat in the Hat Comes Back. I can cope with the second half of the book better!