AIBU to have serious concerns about a Julia Donaldson book?

[BabyNameHelpPls]

Specifically, Fox’s Socks.

The fuck is going on with this guy? He’s woken up at 10am, his clothes are all over the place—his hat is underneath the bathmat, and one of his socks on the head of a frankly disturbing Mr. Punch character in the attic… how much did Fox have to drink the previous night?!

Or, as I’m coming to wonder, how involved is the mouse in all this? She’s so unreadable: at first I thought she was just smug, passive-aggressively following him around and not helping to find any of these clothes in bizarre places.

But does she, in fact, have MH issues, possibly even dementia? She pauses halfway through to make a hat out of a rose, for god’s sake. Is Fox a carer for Mouse? Did he sleep through his alarm from sheer stress and exhaustion, to find she had woken up and distributed his belongings throughout the house? Or is this an abusive relationship and she’s gaslighting him into thinking he’s losing his mind?

AIBU to be very worried that this is not an example of healthy dynamics, regardless of character motivations, and damaging to my toddler’s perception of the world? Should I ban the book? Or is there a more nuanced and wholesome interpretation of the work that I’m missing? Any advice welcome.

I’d always assumed that fox and mouse had a drunken liaison, and its mouse’s house. Explains the state he’s in an the fact his clothes are everywhere.

This is the most entertaining thing I’ve read on Mumsnet in ages.

Interesting on the mouse’s house theory! I’ve always thought it could have been a former duck’s house, what with all of the pictures of ducks everywhere… could fox have eaten the owner, and moved himself (and mouse) into the house?

Awwww 🥹

I've no idea but I'm going to get this for my granddaughter now 😂🤣

And I'm always confused as to why Fox puts so much effort into finding but never wears them again as every other book in the series has shoeless animals. Like why bother

🤣🤣🤣🤣

My people! 🙌🙌🙌

I thought mouse was gaslighting Fox too. Convincing him he couldn't manage on his own.

You may also ask: what's the obsession with ducks?? 🦆

That's the one that concerns you?

You're not worried about the giant walking through town shedding his clothing at any feeble opportunity?

Get muddy paws dog in the bog.
Buy a sail if you're going sailing goat.
Giraffe - having a warm neck makes absolutely no difference.

I'd rather my children didn't see a naked giant with his nads out strolling through town.

Yes, Rabbit’s nap! Quite soul-destroying to read it with a toddler after another twenty-minute Crap Nap.

Yes the ducks are wierd too! Loving this thread.

She pauses halfway through to make a hat out of a rose, for god’s sake.

THIS in spades.

Wtf is up with her???

My dd 3 always used to point and asks what's going on and I'm thinking "damned if I know"

😂

I can still recite this word for word many years later. I was obviously too brain dead at that point to be questioning fox’s lifestyle choices. All seemed totally normal back then.

I don't mind any of those things, let the Fox live his life how he sees fit, I'm sure he'll grow out of this drug binges/inappropriate relationships with prey animals but I do have a massive problem with trying to rhyme "giraffe" and "scarf" in the Smartest Giant.

I absolutely hate all of her books. They are all just weird.

They do rhyme! At least they do to me.

I’ve never wanted to read a kids book so badly 😂😂 I will read it and come back,

Feels like a weird book club 🤣

Can we also talk about Stickman which is basically a story about a dad being abducted from his family and subjected to torture and almost being burned alive before Santa saves him?

We’ve always said Fox is secret drinker!!

Bit of a tall tale, really!

I've always had difficulty with Where's Spot. A lion under the stairs? A crocodile under the bed? Where are social services?

The quest for a rhyme puts things in odd places in Julia Donaldson books, or gives animals odd names - anything to get that rhyme to work!

Yeah my husband is southern and they all rhyme seamlessly, but I'm from the North and also struggle to rhyme scarf and giraffe 😅

The only explanation I have ever found for Rabbit's nap is that she's on a long stay psych ward.

It rhymes if you're Southern or have an RP pronunciation. My husband is from Kent and he rhymes it naturally, scarf and girarf, whereas I'm from the North so say scarf and giraff. Correctly I might add 😂