Primary children being given this book?

[MyMajesty]

I'm a gran to an older child so I don't know if this is actually happening.

Are primary children in Scottish schools really being given the book Brenda Is A Sheep?

This is the first I've heard of it. WTF. DC in two different schools and I work in another. I'll be keeping my eye out for it!

What's the problem? Brenda is a wolf who is welcomed by the sheep instead of eating them. Don't see anything offensive here?

Looks like it's in the primary 1 bookbug bags they give out. Saw it on the parent club Scotland Facebook.

Wolf in sheeps clothing? What's the problem? Lots of interesting themes for the children to think about.

Am I completely missing something? I can't see anything even vaguely inappropriate about it! Lots of opportunities to talk with the children about similarities, differences, friendships, peril etc. I think the suspense building is great. Excellent for inference too.

You don't think it's strange that it ends with stating that Brenda is, in fact, a sheep?

@Scotslassie1 Don't see anything offensive here that’s the issue, it’s reads like a simple children’s book. Replace sheep with girl and wolf with boy.
Children are being groomed for a distorted reality.

As a teacher and a parent, I don't know whether to laugh or greet. Veering towards greet tbh.
If the book was being given to baby wolves , you might have an argument that the book's encouraging them to become sheep when they're older. Thankfully, it's been given (if it has) to babies that are human.
The author, I'm quite sure, is not into grooming children to change their sex and I'm sure this wasn't the aim of the book.
I'm absolutely flabbergasted, yet again, with what people believe. Who's peddling the myth that children are being given books in p1 to encourage them to change sex? (If that's what you're saying.) I'm really hoping I've misunderstood this thread.

@Scotslassie1 the message of the book is not a wolf can do anything a sheep can do. It’s stating categorically that Brenda the sheep is indeed an actual wolf. It’s a little naive not to see the bigger picture in that message.

You've lost me.

It’s clearly a bedtime story- count sheep and you fall asleep.

Seriously though OP, I totally get your concern. I can’t tell whether Morag is being satirical or has drunk the kool-aid. As with so much of this crap.

I was expecting something worse tbh. You could construe an underlying message about being something just because you say you are but i think the whole story is a bit of a miss for me.

It's actually just not very good and misses many a mark. I thought it might be about inclusion and acceptance or even a warning that things and people aren't what the seem or about not judging people on what they look like. It misses all of those and young children (the age range it's aimed at) won't get the whole bit about mint sauce either. Many children will never have eaten lamb or more particularly had a lamb roast dinner with mint sauce. Very middle class.

So in essence, I don't think it's worrying from a gender point of view, i just think it's crap and worrying that it's up for an award - is that really the best available?

I read it to ds 5 and dd 2, they weren't impressed. Every time I read "Brenda is a sheep" I was heckled. Currently sorting through their stuff to get rid of things before Christmas and ds volunteered it straight away. He'd rather keep the 16 different versions of Little Red Riding Hood we have.

We did have a conversation about big bad wolves pretending to be other things in order to hurt people off the back of it. I may be extra sensitive though as I have ptsd from trusting someone who turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing so to speak.

Also for me it implies that you can only be accepted by essentially being a sheep and pretending to be something you are not. Brenda is clearly good fun as far as the sheep are concerned so the message could be about accepting that it's okay to like people who have different views or outlooks or are just different to you and therefore it's fine for Brenda to be a wolf and still be your friend?

Anyway it's all a bit too deep for a Sunday :o

There are LOTS of children’s books with this theme (the bumblebear being a favourite in our house).

Yer haverin.

Who's peddling the myth that children are being given books in p1 to encourage them to change sex?

That’s not what’s being peddled here. It’s encouraging them to accept that despite all evidence to the contrary and all the warning signs (teeth sharpening, mint sauce) Brenda the wolf is a sheep. When they know Brenda is definitely a wolf. Again, it’s not clear to me whether morag is pointing out the blindingly obvious or whether she is peddling the crap.

Many children will never have eaten lamb or more particularly had a lamb roast dinner with mint sauce.

I think that was the final straw for ds. He understood the mint sauce reference, we eat quite a bit of lamb and he picks the mint from the garden to make the sauce and was horrified. He wanted the sheep to eat the wolf or at least fetch the local woodcutter.

My DC were really into books and prolific readers from a very young age and there were some pretty weird books out then as well. I had quite a few WTF moments with some of them. Those tended not to be their favourites when they were younger. I think they prefer the good v evil, good triumphs over evil narrative when they are preschool/early nursery. Much happier to look at more subtle themes and muddied waters as they get a bit older imo/ime.

I don't think it's great to teach children to ignore all their unease about predators, just because the predator claims to be their friend and just like them.

I don't think it's great to teach children that things are whatever you say they are, regardless of appearances/facts.

It's a really weird premise, honestly.

@picklemewalnuts Has summed it up perfectly.

Don't suppress your unease.
Being nice won't make you safe.

Ah I see. I misunderstood what the pp poster was saying. Phew.

Brenda is clearly good fun as far as the sheep are concerned

This is my favourite thread all week

I get that it could be good to discuss with children whether the sheep should actually trust Brenda or not.
If that's the aim, I think there should at least be a hint about that in the ending of the story.

If it's just read as "Be nice, regardless of how scary someone seems, and it will all turn out fine" - that's worrying.

If it's in bookbug bags, does that mean it's up to parents to decide whether to discuss or whether to just read it straight without much thought?
Or is there teacher input which might encourage more thought about the story?

As I said, my grandchild is older, so I don't know what happens with young pupils.

A book where a predator pretends to be something they're not and the prey feel compelled to go along with rather than offend the predator. No, can't see any issues.

Whatever Morag is on, it's not very good stuff...