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Original poster

Demon Dentist and David Walliams

77 replies

PulyaSochsup · 10/05/2019 20:26

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.

OP posts:
Lllot5 · 11/05/2019 20:51

My grandson is nine and loved the Tom Gates books.

DeeCeeCherry · 11/05/2019 20:55

Rude, sexist, sizeist, racist, classist,misogynist, unkind... I've never understood why his books are liked or how he gets away with saying what he does.

I watched Little Britain a couple of times and the way he depicted older women was utterly foul. I wouldn't even open the cover of one of his books

Geraniumpink · 11/05/2019 21:08

Yep D.W. is seriously overrated. Many children do love his books though and they do figure prominently in libraries and books shops. But I do not think they will stand the test of time.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Children's books
Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:08

Tom Gates seems popular, I just had a quick look at a Guardian review of his writing and his books sound great.
I mentioned upthread to a PP who said that her DS with a stutter had read the same book as we'd started last night and she said he'd been fine and really enjoyed the book. I was glad it had been positive for him and said that I hoped he'd continue to find his books reading his books positive too, because as DeeDeeCherry has shown with his list, there's something in those books to offend virtually anyone.

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Imfinehowareyou · 11/05/2019 21:15

Vile man. Vile books. My DD became quite concerned about her weight all of a sudden (she's 9 and pretty tiny). On investigation it came from David Walliam books. We don't have them anymore.

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:17

Imfine, that's so sad I can very well believe it. I do hope she's ok now.

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LaPufalina · 11/05/2019 21:20

We've been bought two and they're so badly written. No redeeming features at all. I was going to donate them to DD's nursery as just thought it was me being fussy, but charity shop (or recycling) probably better!

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:24

LaPufalina, I thought they were so rotten and indeed badly written that I couldn't countenance putting it back in circulation so it's now in the recycling bin. Quicker than a trip to the local charity shop too!

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ScottishDoll · 11/05/2019 21:25

There’s something really malevolent and creepy about him, like someone hiding in plain sight.

This exactly.

Walliams is nothing like Roald Dahl (who could actually spin a good yarn). What he has done is steal relentlessly from Dahl including getting his books dressed up to look similar. It's a shitty sales tactic.

Tell your DS that Walliams only sells books because he pays a PR team a heap of money to pretend he is popular. He mimics a successful author, gets placed in the centre of the book store at christmas and hey presto you have a long con. A good opening for a discussion on product placement and the sneaky tricks used to sell rubbish!

In Gangsta Granny when Granny dies that's ok because she is old so nobody is sad ?!? Seriously messed up messages abound.

Usually these threads are beset by wonderful reviews within minutes, guess the PR team are in the pub since it's the weekend Grin

Btw Micheal Morpurgo is miserable. Choose a cheery book for your children, there are so many to choose from. Cressida Cowell is excellent as is Vivienne French.

Geraniumpink · 11/05/2019 21:26

There’s an article in The Guardian about him and his books, dated 1st Feb 2018, that you might enjoy. (Unsure how to do links, sorry)

ScottishDoll · 11/05/2019 21:26

OP what are your DS's special interests and age?

Perhaps we mumsnetters can tailor a list of lovely books for him to try?

SunshineOutdoors · 11/05/2019 21:27

We’ve been given some and I read them to dd - however I do find myself skipping/glossing over/rewriting parts of it that I don’t feel are appropriate for a yr3 girl (references to being fat, porn mags under the bed, page 3 models). I don’t want to ban them outright but glad she likes being read to rather than reading them herself so I can edit them. Some of the bits we do read I use as a chance to explain to her why I don’t agree with how that character thinks and why and have a bit of a discussion- that seems better to me than avoiding them altogether when I know many of her peers will be reading them. I do think the bbc tv adaptations of some of the books are more age appropriate than the books themselves.

Geraniumpink · 11/05/2019 21:28

Cressida Cowell is wonderful - my teen still listens to the David Tennant audio. The Fantastic Beasts series is fun as an easy read it to yourself adventure series.

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:35

Thanks Scottish, I'll talk to him about that tomorrow. What an awful message in Gangsta Granny, that's terribly sad.
It's interesting how only one person, or perhaps 2 was remotely positive about DW. Indeed, the fabulous, loyal PR team must be excused from overtime at the moment. The drawbacks of simultaneously having a literary and small screen career!
I will read any books for them myself first, there are certainly plenty of good excuses on here to try out children's books 🙂
I'm going to google the Guardian article now.

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Geraniumpink · 11/05/2019 21:36

I mean the BeastQuest series.

Geraniumpink · 11/05/2019 21:40

I honestly wonder if many parents actually know what is in the David Williams books - many children are bought them to read to themselves. At that age they may read fairly uncritically. The only reason I became aware of their lack of quality is that as a T.A I listen to the children read their book from home to me. I have had to fudge over some very awkward questions from them about what they are reading in David Williams books.

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:43

Hi Scottish, he loves knights and battles, as well as anything historical. He loves to laugh, but he's a very caring boy and I don't want him to lose that.
Sunshine, I know what you mean and I wanted him to try them as a large part of his peer group had read them but after he was curled up with me, looking at the book and read the part about the stutter before I had chance to read it, I think it would have been disloyal to keep it and inappropriate to let his siblings read it either.
The problem with his writings seems to be that even if one book doesn't personally offend you, something else in another one will, because frankly, nothing seems taboo for this author.

OP posts:
ScottishDoll · 11/05/2019 21:43

Cool, maybe start a new thread for a dedicated book list and message some of us to get involved. Let's make him feel really good about reading, lemons to lemonade and all that Grin

We are a bit old school in our house, Paddington Bear still gets trundled out on a regular basis like literary comfort food.

ScottishDoll · 11/05/2019 21:45

xpost OP, do a new thread for your list so it stays untouched by the Walliam PR team.

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 11/05/2019 21:49

Geranium, you may well be right about children choosing to read them
for themselves. I wonder if they're laughing at some parts and almost dare not say they're offended by parts of them. I an only imagine what that was like as a TA!
We'll try Cressida Cowell and I know he likes BeastQuest Smile

OP posts:
zen1 · 11/05/2019 22:08

Slightly off topic, but he gives me the absolute and utter creeps.

Same here SrSteveOskowski, and for that reason alone I’ve never bought my DC any of his books.

SrSteveOskowski · 11/05/2019 22:24

@zen1, I've seen a LOT of people say the same thing in threads here before. There's just something really 'off' about him.

Slaymill · 12/05/2019 12:13

Happy to be part of the book ideas thread.

We love Wizards of Once/Twice. Also Sinéad O'Hart and I have high hopes for Wildspark: A Ghost Machine Adventure. My son is ten and loves creative stories.

Stuckandsad · 12/05/2019 12:20

Tell your ds that my brother had a stutter after he had a bad virus when he was a little boy. He is handsome and funny and popular and just graduated cambridge with 1st class honours. We are so proud of him.

David walliams looks like a melted crayon and has the charisma and talent to match. (Maybe dont tell him that)

Original poster
PulyaSochsup · 12/05/2019 12:23

Slaymill, thank you so much, we will look for those.
Stuckandsad, that is fantastic! I will tell him, you must all be so proud of him 🎉

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