Demon Dentist and David Walliams

[PulyaSochsup]

I need to let everyone know that 3 chapters into this book I had to stop reading this book to my sons. For anyone unfamiliar with this story, Mr Grey has a stutter.

Hilarious.

Until the little boy you're reading it to also has a stutter and bursts into tears. I tried not to read it to him but we'd turned the page and he saw it.

I have never read anything else by him and he's now banned in our home. DS is confused and upset by this and I have told him the writer has a problem.
I'm so angry, we've been looking forward to reading this for ages.
I'm so angry. What sort of person writes a book encouraging mockery of people with speech impediment by children?

I am so, so disgusted. Poor DS struggles with this in most conversations, every day.

It is fitting though that I found it in Poundland, that, at least is self explanatory.

Bump. Anyone?

David Walliams is foul.

Your poor boy. I remember banning The Dandy from our house due to the comic strip ‘Blinky’ - the premise being how hilarious it was that the character was partially sighted. My son is partially sighted. I was gutted.

for you

I haven't read the book.

But that does sound a horrible experience for you and your DS.

Without reading it I have no idea whether you're completely right to be so angry with the author or whether your son and you are (understandably) over sensitive about this issue. The former sounds more likely.

I have tried to read three D Walliams books. I had to give up every time - they were all poorly written and dull with an underling nastiness. Well done for banning them.

I’m really sorry to hear this. I have only read one David Walliams with my DD and I have had to leave bits out (about fat and stupid people for example). I wondered if I was being a bit over sensitive but I’m really sorry to hear your DS was upset. I wonder if, later in the book, the stammer becomes relevant/not just something to be laughed at?). Incidentally, do you know about the Michael Palin stammering charity? It’s wonderful.

I haven’t read it either but I have found stuttering in a few of DS’s books and I always edit it out as I’m reading aloud. I used to have a real problem with blushing so if ever a character blushes in a story I cut that description out too as I didn’t want DS to be become conscious of it (sorry I know that’s not really relevant)

I hope your DS’s ok.

Always thought Williams books are crap. Was given the first as an 8th birthday gift years ago. It found itself in the charity bag 2 days later (was tempted with the recycling but each to their own).

Walliams !

Auto correct, gggrrr. See, he doesn’t even have a proper name.

Lyra and Pink, thank you both for your support.
Lyra, I don't know either because the book won't be read now. Thank you for your kindness.
Pink, I'm so sorry he made your little boy feel like that. Walliams is utterly foul, you are right. Building his career mocking children and adults with mild disabilities and teaching the next generation to do the same.
Thank you both for replying, I just needed someone to hear me

Thank you all so much, I have just told DS that you all know about it and he's upset some of you. He said he needs to go to prison!
Out of the mouths of babes! I will look up the stuttering charity, thanks so much Scottish.

He is utterly obsessed with describing people as fat too. And quite cruelly tbh.

His books seem to be endless implausible and poorly written lists. He's a v poor writer.

We had a similar drama with Mr Stink.

Don't rate DW at all. I think his work has all of the least nice elements of Dahl but none of the word play and charm.

This book is just awful.
Scary and grim.

ShowOfHands, I noticed that too. He described the receptionist in the book as immense and as having ballast. You're right about the lists too, a very lazy way of writing really. It's as though the bullet points are an inadequate attempt to compensate for the lack of structure in his writing.
The titles do seem very sensationalist, his writing didn't appeal to me. A cheapened version of Dahl, but lacking the same moral fibre.
I certainly shan't be reading any more and not will my children.

I'm saddened and shocked by how many of us have either shared similar experiences or simply disdain his writing.
I don't watch him on television but he seems to be rather a media darling.

I found the opposite here.. I have a child who is 7 with a stutter and he really enjoyed that book. They are just perhaps ‘not for everyone’ rather than ‘vile’.

Sorry - someone described the author above as ‘foul’ not ‘vile’.

Mouthful, I'm glad it was positive for him. I do still think it's foul to be so insensitive towards vulnerable children though, he must be astute enough to know that he risks offending them and potentially compounding bullying issues that they face

Disgusting to mock disabilities or appearance in a children’s book. I’ve always thought DW to have a rather mean streak.

I think his books are foul. He uses being overweight and working class as a shorthand for evil, portrays women very poorly and thinks nothing of taking the piss out of disabilities. His books are littered with racial, sexist and class stereotypes, and have got progressively worse - many kids I know have felt ripped off by his later efforts, as they consist of very little text padded out by lists and cartoons.

Shame, because The Boy In The Dress was ok.

Absolutely Illstartexercisingtomorrow. And he really is prepared to stoop to any level to gain a cheap laugh at someone else's expense. I would go so far as to say the impact on DS tonight was actually a hate crime. Any other adult openly mocking such children would be arrested! He looked confused and said he felt embarrassed for having had the author laugh at someone with the same problem. Even I feel traumatised by it, we sat down with such fanfare to what we had been told was a wonderful book .

I genuinely feel happy to have been brought up on Anne Fine novels and I've bought them for my DD.

Ugggg, he's awful. We've had a few given as birthday gifts over the years. He really is a wannabe Roald Dahl.

My dad has a stutter. I never really thought about it and how it must have affected him until I was an adult. I just never saw it as a kid, it was my normal. My dad is nearly 70 and has more friends than anyone I know, a loving wife in my mother and had a successful career. Speech therapy didn't work for him, he has some draconian stories about doctors trying to correct his speech in the 1950s.

Much love to your DS.

It has great reviews, not just on Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/Demon-Dentist-David-Walliams/dp/0007453582?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I'm going to ask school to consider removing their books. Other children must be upset by it too, of not on their own behalf then perhaps a parent who might fulfill any of the stereotypes Pink mentioned. I always remember the feeling of guilt and sadness as a child when someone I loved was being treated unfairly or far worse still, mocked.