Daughter's book...

[EachDubh]

I know I am reading to much into this and perhaps missing the celebrating difference and diversity here but.... I don't think I can read this book with the eyes of innocence anymore. 😂😂

Dd got her p1 bookbag (5 year old gifts of books etc in Scottish schools). The books ares elected, written especially for the book bag scheme and are lovely. But this book got me thinking.

Brenda is a sheep!
Page 1- these are sheep, pic of sheep.
Page 2- this is also a sheep, this sheep is called Brenda. Brenda has a nice wooly jumper, pic of wolf in wooly jumper.
Page 3- Brenda does all the things sheep do... Next page -.. Because Brenda is a sheep. Obviously lots of repetative languagebto help with reading.
It goes on to say the other aheep think Brenda is the best sheep, Brenda is planning to eat the sheep but they plan a special feast and Brenda doesn't eat them because they are her friends and kind.

My mind is telling the sheep to run away and stay safe, kindness won't always keep you safe, be kind but also be aware.

Am I mad?

www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning-resources/brenda-is-a-sheep
Sorry here's the link

And like Spartacus somehow I assumed the wolf was male despite being called Brenda.

And that maybe where a predator does eat its victim, it’s because the victim deserved it because they weren’t nice or friendly enough. Sounds familiar.

Mr Wolf doesn't change.

I love/hate the story s* . Love it because of the protagonist's resilience. Hate it because when he eats his victims, it’s clear that they 'deserved it' because they weren’t nice or friendly enough.

Nonetheless, Mr Wolf doesn't change. The difference between these stories and something like The The Little Piggies is simply that in T3LP the Wolf eats them because he wants to, whereas in these stories he eats them because they 'deserved' it.

@RavensByNight

And like Spartacus somehow I assumed the wolf was male despite being called Brenda.

If the whole story is a metaphor for colonisation...

I'm sure the author just meant it as 'be nice to people who are different'.

But the dynamic is all wrong because it's the vulnerable group who are having to be nice to the 'privileged' individual. The story should have been about a dominant group accepting an outsider.

Wolf in disguise stories have been handed down and adapted for centuries. Little Red Riding Hood may have its origins in the 11th century. Fairytales were warnings. What a legacy for this era to be the first to encourage kids to welcome the wolf into the fold. I take a small crumb of comfort from this - our ancestors weren't idiots, hopefully this latest adaptation is a mere blip in the grand scheme of things.

Well the wolf had his head chopped off...

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

Well the wolf had his head chopped off...

Metaphors are useful, no? The Charles Perrault version, which was likely based on a oral tale was likely influenced by his experiences in court:

'A successful career at court may have left Perrault a defender of royal absolutism, privilege, and Louis XIV, but it had also allowed him to witness the many courtiers who had preyed upon younger women, aristocrats and commoners alike. Some women, admittedly, had been able to use this to their advantage—Francoise d’Aubigne, Marquise de Maintenon, had even managed to marry the king in secret—but others, including those who had dallied, willingly or not, with Louis XIV, had been left ruined or exiled or dead after illicit pregnancies. Others were preyed on for their fortunes. Nor was this behavior, of course, confined to the court of Versailles. It is also likely that Perrault had encountered, in person or through rumor, incidents of child abuse.'

@EachDubh no it wasn't just you. I actually almost took a picture of my DD's book and started a thread too, but I thought it was maybe just me.

"This is a sheep" 🤔

I can't see the wording on the pictures very clearly.

What is the final message of the book? That the wolf is/must be accepted as a sheep?

If so this is really effing dodgy. What somebody's DP said above about stranger danger and that people lie.

The ending of the story..

To be fair the other 2 books are lovely

Lovely bedspread/duvet cover or whatever they're on too!

Thanks each . That message is just wrong and dangerous.

At first glance I thought the sheep had dismembered the devious wolf.

Now that would be a morality tale for the 21st century!

@ErrolTheDragon

I'm sure the author just meant it as 'be nice to people who are different'.

But the dynamic is all wrong because it's the vulnerable group who are having to be nice to the 'privileged' individual. The story should have been about a dominant group accepting an outsider.

Being nice to people who are different is a good message.

But, yes, the dynamic is all wrong in this story. The message here is coming across more like “be nice or you’ll get hurt / be killed by this outsider”.

The message (albeit unintentional), given the well established trope, is be nice and embrace someone who will do you harm. Because most wolves would devour most sheep, however nice Brenda might be.

@HecatesCats

The message (albeit unintentional), given the well established trope, is be nice and embrace someone who will do you harm. Because most wolves would devour most sheep, however nice Brenda might be.

I think it's even more pronounced than that - "be REALLY nice to dangerous predators, and then they might opt not to do you harm. If they do you harm, it's therefore not because they were a dangerous predator, but your fault for not being nice enough."

Is there anywhere you can write a review?
"A wonderful book proving you shouldn't believe everything you are told. Some people lie. A useful resource to teach about Stranger Danger"

It's a lovely story to encourage children to accept those who are different. I moved from one country to another as a child and was stereotyped, bullied and left out because I wasn't from there. No child should have to go through that.

But I did think "what about stranger danger or grooming" too. It seems to suggest that children should accept someone who tries to befriend you even though you know they're much more powerful. If Brenda were a goat or a chicken it would be very different.

grass pie yum

Ignoring all the above very good points about stranger danger, listening to your gut about the truth of a situation and everything metaphorical.

Is anyone else concerned about the veganism for the wolf (dog) and the message that it's fine to feed carnivores a (grass? Very nutritionally poor) plant based diet. I think children might need to re-watch Madagascar where Alex attacks Marty as all he sees is little steaks where other creatures are. The solution wasn't other plants!

OK back to the really worrying messages to children.

@legallybland

It's a lovely story to encourage children to accept those who are different. I moved from one country to another as a child and was stereotyped, bullied and left out because I wasn't from there. No child should have to go through that.

But I did think "what about stranger danger or grooming" too. It seems to suggest that children should accept someone who tries to befriend you even though you know they're much more powerful. If Brenda were a goat or a chicken it would be very different.

grass pie yum

And why does Brenda have to pretend to be something else? If she were a goat, surely the sheep could be friends with her without her pretending that she is also a sheep? I think that would send a message of inclusion much better than this weird storyline where a direct predator pretends they are one of the prey. Of course you shouldn’t befriend those who you have been told are dangerous and you shouldn’t ignore what your mind tells you in favour of what they tell you. If a 40 year old man tells you that he’s a 14 year old (which pedophiles frequently do), you report it to an adult and get the hell away. You don’t embrace it and make friends with this person. Same if you’re a sheep- you stay the fuck away from wolves, no matter what they tell you.

But I am currently using EXACTLY the same story (different pics, obvs) to teach my primary class that some unpleasant people pretend to be children to groom them online.