to think that Beatrix Potter books need a reboot?

[ScaryBeardyDeadyman]

I've been reading some of the books with dd and I'm surprised by the large scale child abuse that occurs in them. Children are routinely smacked, whipped and even locked in cupboards!

How are these books still on release? Surely they need a Star Wars style reboot (so Han shoots in retaliation) with all the abuse removed?

"sad i have bought the complete set for a friends daughter for christmas, i didnt even begin to think they could be perceived as controversial, hmmmmmmm, worried now"

I have never found the BP books controversial. I didn't like the Tale of Tom Kitten, but I think the the others were just a representation of the period in which they were written. I love the language in The Taylor of Gloucester.

I regret that I may have suggested far, far, far worse fates for little rabbits than being beaten on the bottom when I saw what they'd done to my leeks the other day. In DS's hearing too. So, there you go, rabbit abuse is alive and kicking in the 21st centurywell it would be if I could catch the feckers

Why oh why does Mumsnet not have a "permanently scarred" emoticon?

Beatrix Potter books are creepy. Mr Men is the way to go...

Oh give over! No Dickens for your child in the future then.

Which is the one where the kitten gets wrapped in pastry? Traumatised me as a child.

oh no NOT Mr Men, so predictable and formulaic! BP books are charming, lovely format, lovely pics,

Shudder. It's just awful

Charming? Lovely pics?

Yabu to want to rewrite them. They have their place and relevance and that is in the past. Yanbu in a way. The illustrations are beautiful. But the stories are not that good and not at all relevant to today. My children simply don't understand them. And reading over them now, neither do I. I will raise you Enid Blyton!

Rabbits strictly speaking don't hit each other with sticks they live in holes and we make them into stews.

Wonder if three is too young for water ship down. The wiiiires, the wiiiires!

FFS. YABU.

At least Beatrix Potter has a wider range of language than the bloody Gruffalo or Kipper. I learned the word 'soporific' from the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies when I was about 5. Fat chance of learning any unusual words in most modern children's books. I was reading some of these to DD last night for the first time and thinking 'thank God for slightly more plot, challenging language and detailed pictures'.

It's one of the things that has really stuck with me Banders and I do feel really funny seeing that picture because it upset me so much as a young child.

Bit like watching the public service films about railways and slurry pits.

And general woundwort. He scared me rigid. Loved that book though.

I'd cheerfully burn every BP book given the opportunity.

The bit with the poison gas and the rabbits being stuck underground is terrifying.

I really disagree with changing the money in things like Enid Blyton. I grew up post-decimalisation and shillings etc had to be explained to me, but what's wrong with that? Modern kids won't even know that money was any different if they don't read about it.

Ok. So how many of you would be happy to read your kids books where human children are whipped for going into someone else's garden? Or where they get smacked for getting their clothes dirty? Or shoved in a cupboard because their mother is busy?

Or wrapped in pastry by rats Scary.

Yy, Bandersnatch. Same goes for a varied vocab - the words might be unfamiliar to the child, but they'll either work it out themselves from the context or ask someone to explain it. Either way is much better than to just read easy words and never stretch.

And how can you not understand Beatrix Potter? I really don't get what's so hard - can you explain what your children find so baffling, SarahJessica? I'm honestly not trying to be snarky, I'm trying to understand your point of view.

That said, it was only last night, at the grand age of 29, having read the books over and over as a child, and read them to my little siblings when I was 18+, that I realised that Squirrel Nutkin is riddling and the answer is provided in the text, in italics. [hblush] I always assumed he was just making up nonsense rhymes to annoy Old Brown. And I thought that the italics were just for emphasis. [hblush]

Sparkling it's The Roly-Poly Pudding story in which Tom Kitten is rolled in pastry by Samuel Whiskers.

Did he live Goblin? I can't remember.