To think 'Not Now Bernard' is unsuitable for children!

[HelloKitty76]

Y'know that book about the boy whose parents ignore him. Then he gets eaten by a monster and they don't even notice.

Seriously, it's a really disturbing story! There's an important message there for adults perhaps. But I'm really struggling to see anything positive that children can take from it.

Not now Bernard is a great book.. the message is if you continually ignore your children they turn in to monsters

Mine loved it. Have you noticed how something has just gone wrong for the parents, the mum watering the flowers when the water spills etc?

I loved Not Now Bernard as a child and mine love it now. No trauma, except maybe as a parent when you realise you've been Bernard's parents at times.

“I love Not Now Bernard. I used to have a teeny copy that lived in my handbag for reading in restaurants and cafes and on buses (to my kids, I didn't love it THAT much). I wonder where it is now?”
Gobblersknob thanks for the best laugh I’ve had all week 😂 I’m picturing a woman on a date in a fancy restaurant, reading a tiny copy of Not Now Bernard while her date goes to the loo 😂😂

I always assumed that he wasn’t eaten and the monster was just Bernard pretending. As the the “monster” is called Bernard by the parents.

This is what I thought. My daughter and the children in my classes liked it but I don't think they over-analysed it.

Not now HelloKitty

It's a brilliant cautionary tale. Bernard is the monster, created by his own inattentive parents.

A lot of the best children’s literature has dark undercurrents. Fairy Tales ( unless they’re the Disney version), Beatrix Potter, The Wild Things even The Gruffalo. It’s a way of learning to navigate the world and kids love the darker elements.

This book was my absolute favourite as a child...and I've got a very dark sense of humour, obsessed with true crime and crime novels so maybe it was a sign I enjoyed it so much 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had forgotten what it was really about and the end but the pictures always stayed with me and the feeling I really enjoyed it so was excited to see it at the library...was a bit shocked when I read it but laughed. I always say at the end "that wasn't fair was it?!" And make a joke of it lol

My DDs found it hilarious when they were little. It was one of their favourites. Along with a book all in rhyme (I forget the title) about a boy who refused to bath and was eventually taken away by the dustbin men!
Children do have a sense of humour, and can understand when something is a joke or an exaggeration.
Mums who are upset by Bernard would have forty fits at the kids’ books of my mother’s generation. Anyone here remember the Great Red legged Scissor Man, who cut off Conrad’s thumbs for sucking them, in Struwelpeter?!

I read it to my class every year.

I always presumed that the monster is Bernard not an actual monster.

I've just asked my children if they think it's disturbing and they both laughed ...and said NO !
We love 'Not Now Bernard' and have read it loads .
OP please do not read "I want my hat back" cause that may tip you over the edge 😂

I loved reading Not Now, Bernard to my DC, possibly a little bit more than they enjoyed reading it. I refuse to engage with any theories about a figurative metamorphosis into monsterhood - that was a real monster, and he ate Bernard up, every bit.

But I'm really struggling to see anything positive that children can take from it.

Yawn, does everything have to pass on a message? Can it not just be silly and funny? A sense of humour is very important!

Think it’s even more pertinent now with parents on phones etc when kids trying to get attention!

In my experience kids are ghoulish AF. I agree that it’s a disturbing book and I think it’s brilliant. My kids used to love it.

Freddie

I've got it on VHS somewhere. Absolutely loved it, message or not.

My kids always enjoyed this one. And the Gashlycrumb Tinies...

It's a marvellous book, now I'm wishing I'd called the cat Bernard, that's a fabulous idea! My kids loved it.

How strange my 4 yo just choose this at school and I was happy to read it, I loved it as a child!

I think it's a great book my 4yo and 7yo old were shocked his parents didn't notice but were kind of fascinated.

I loved that book growing up never really thought of its meaning until now but then I guess that can be said about most things, take Disney films for example, lovely and cute, then when you grow up you realise there is a darker side to them

Mine loved it. We’d read it together and all say “NOT NOW BERNARD!” And giggle after each time.

I remember wondering as a child: why did Bernard go out into the garden, knowing that the monster was going to eat him?

I read it to my ds but for a laugh I changed the wording to Not now Rupert...its the middle class version where the parents are too busy with tennis lessons and conference calls...so, not now Rupert, I'm just about to take a call with the Hong Kong office.

My ds finds it hysterical.