To think Revolting Rhymes is not suitable for 5 years olds?

[fosterdream]

I quote;

'Poor Cindy's heart was torn to shreds.
My Prince! She thought. He chops off heads!
How could I marry anyone
Who does that sort of thing for fun?
The Prince cried, "Who's this dirty slut?
Off with her nut! Off with her nut!'
― Roald Dahl, Revolting Rhymes

and

'Oh where, oh where had Snow White gone?
She'd found it easy, being pretty
To hitch a ride into the city.'
― Roald Dahl, Revolting Rhymes

I bought it for my nephew for Christmas and had a quick read and was shocked when poor Cinderella was called a slut and told her head would be chopped off!

I called up the book people and have a refund but I'm still very shocked it was for ages 5+ is this unreasonable?

YABU my dc's love Roald Dahl

slut = slattern, and if you honestly think your 5 year old hasn't yet noticed that the prettier kids in school have a better time of it, you are kidding yourself.

I think if he was 8+ I would just give him the book but my sister and her DH are VERY over protective and I had to inform them of my thoughts said I could change the words and they just said no I must look for a new book now! they wouldn't approve of it if he was 14

and tbh i think that you are missing a big trick by not speaking to her about this... we loved the goldilocks story for exactly that reason, that it allowed her to deconstruct the nursery canon, iykwim? (ie that goldie is a thieving little brat rather than a paragon of blonde loveliness. which takes you neatly back to the 'pretty kids have it easy' line.)

not her, him, excuse me. but it's still a great opportunity.

should I have noted the DN is in a country where English is a second language? new to MN

Personally, I couldn't read that to a five year old! Although as an adult I love that book!

I had the book when I was a Y1 teacher and read the poems to the class. I changed the word 'slut' to something else, in case I got any complaints (or the children started calling each other dirty slits, and blaming me!)

Happy I would not have been happy if my DD's came home with the word slut. Glad you changed it

the only one I would exercise caution with is The Vicar of Nibbleswick.
mainly because he turns words around, and makes "sip" "pis" etc.

Instead of giving it to horrid BIL how about www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/1583065-Christmas-appeal-2012-Nominations-and-Donations-thread

Seems many of you think I'm been unreasonable. what age group would be good, lol?

I wanted a google to read some of the rhymes.

Started typing 'revolting' and the first thing that came up was 'revolting cocks'

DH is currently reading it to our two at bedtime :)

DS1 is 2, DS2 is 6m

Dino that's so funny

Beyond your husband puts your kids to bed lol we do our 50% now DH is part time his still in shock every other night when I tell him too I think if I was to drop dead they would be up at all hours wearing rags

My DS's love the Revolting Rhymes book. They are 4 and 7. They are a fun twist on the traditional stories. I love reading them too. Definitely see the use of "slut" in the splatters sense.

Small children love a bit of gore too so any talk of chopping off heads is all great fun too.

We got a children's book from MN to read and review and it's all about killing fairies, roasting them and peeling off their skin and drinking their blood from their skulls. It's brilliant.

Splatter. Yeah, thanks autocorrects. That would be slattern.

(He works shifts, i do it when hes on nights, but apart from that he likes doing bedtime cause its the only time he sees them if hes working days)

Zombie what's the killing fairies book called I wanted to get him a good book that isn't all happy endings. My DD's would mostly cry at that book. Don't think his parents would approve but as long as it hasn't got the word slut or another offensive word in along those lines they can't complain much and I do like to get him something a little different

Beyond so nice to hear another DF loves to spend time with his children my DH doesn't like bedtime because DD2 (2yrs) is very clingy to me and will cry for me he would rather take them out swimming something he started last year so I get a well deserved break as he is starting his own business it's the only true break I get nowadays

It's called Witch Of The East. Here's the link to MN reviews. There's also an app which is great.

DD always liked the book. She never once asked for an explanation of each word.

Oh, and DH has done bedtime since DD was born, and since she started school he has done pretty much every night. DD is 10y now and still DD goes up with her and has a quick chat. They enjoy their 10 minutes quiet chat time before bed.

I read it to my 5 year old, he loves it!

I loved this book when I was a kid.

I can't wait until my little one is old enough to read it together.

Ronald Dahl was a genius....

I've just finished reading this to my two and a half year old. She loved the rhymes and the silly bits, anything "inappropriate" just goes over her head. We're also very fond of the scorpion one in Dirty Beasts!