Children's Books That Make You Go, "Hmmmm..."

As a disclaimer, let me say right off, that I LOVE a good children's book. I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of good children's literature. Trying to do a post on my favorites would be too arduous a task, so I won't even try. If done well, a good book can have such a power to teach and inspire. But every now and again, I find a book that strikes an odd chord with my more logical self, makes me slightly uncomfortable, and causes me to wonder whether the author didn't quite think the story all the way through.

For instance, everyone knows and loves the book "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. Such a sweet story of the love between a mother and a child. But don't try and tell me you haven't thought the same thing at the same part as me.

It's truly creepy for the mom to be sneaking into her adult son's bedroom at night to rock and sing to him in his sleep. Now, in the author's defense, he's presumably single at the time (or else he got kicked out of the master bedroom and has to sleep in the spare -probably for letting his mother butt into their personal lives too much), because that would cross so many mother-in-law lines, it's not even funny. I can honestly say that I am at least 94% certain that although Todd's mom loves him devotedly, she has never succumbed to the temptation to drive 60 miles north to rock him in his sleep. (I'd love to hear that call to Dr. Laura...) This part of the story just begs the reaction, "Cut the umbilical cord already!!"

(The lingering 6% wonders....)

A book I had to read dozens of times a day to Sophie when she was about 2 years old was "Who Are You Sue Snue?" by Tish Rabe (they try to make it look like it's by Dr. Seuss, but it's NOT). It's all about a young girl discovering her potential to be anything she wants to be when she grows up. It's all fine and good until she declares at the end that she'll do whatever she wants and no mother or pop can tell her 'Please stop!' Now, c'mon, am I supposed to imbue that rebellious spirit into my own child's consciousness?

This last book is from a series that I loved as a child, and my kids love too - the Mr. Men and Little Miss books by Roger Hargreaves. Meet Mr. Messy. He is extraordinarily sloppy in every aspect of his life until he meets two indubitably gay men, Mr. Neat and Mr. Tidy. Ignoring Mr. Messy's protests, they take it upon themselves to whip his house into shape, totally disregarding his privacy, and even going so far as to bathe him (AAAAHHHHH!) I can't read it to my kids without feeling like I should note how that really wouldn't be the right thing to do no matter how messy he was.

(even if they are all jolly and chummy at the end)