Guest guest Posted February 16, 2002 Report Share Posted February 16, 2002 I am really enjoying the discussion of children's books. I have two small children, and I am currently taking a children's literature course as part of my masters in library science, so it's given me some issues to think about. I had several thoughts. 1. Veggie Tales - I have avoided them because we are not religious. My MIL gave my daughter a Veggie Tales tape, but we haven't passed it on to her. I'll listen to it first. 2. Animals given human qualities - this is an interesting subject. To be honest, it has never bothered me. In fact, to play the devil's advocate, let me say that I think it can be a good thing. Children may be more likely to identify with animals if they see them doing things like they do and having similar feelings. At some point, children will realize that bears do not wear glasses and suits (at least not willingly). Also, what about a book like Charlotte's Web? The animals talk and have human qualities, but it is a wonderful story. The family does eat meat though. 3. What I object to are all the farm animal books for kids. They make the farm look like paradise. Heck, I'd like to live there too if all I had to do was frolic all day. They don't show the reality and, of course, don't let children know that that the little pink piggy is going to be pork chops. I always threaten to write my own children's book called something like " Petey Pig Takes a Ride, " in which the cute little piggy is all excited about his ride on the big truck, but ends up at the slaughter house. It is interesting to me how our society instills a love of animals in children through books, but then dupes them into thinking that eating meat isn't really eating their friends. Give me a break. When we see meat in books, I tell my daughter what it really is - see those hotdogs, those are made from cows and pigs. She's starting to say that she doesn't eat cow, pig, etc., because they are her friends. Her daycare provider said that my daughter is very aware that she doesn't eat meat and if her friends offer it to her she says no. (The teacher also steps in to be sure she doesn't get any.) Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2002 Report Share Posted February 20, 2002 I haven't seen anyone mention Curious George yet. The premise of the story is that George was taken out of the jungle by the man with the yellow hat. At first he's unhappy and misses his family and friends, but then he becomes happy again when he's taken to live at the zoo " with his friends " . In a later book, the man with the yellow hat wants to have a birthday party for George to celebrate the day that the man in the yellow hat took George home to live with him! In other words, the author acknowledges that animals have feelings (they're sad when you take them away from their family and friends) but it's Ok because they're better off in the zoo or living among humans and concrete. And maybe another message is that animals and children are the same and they both need adult humans to tell them what to do and control their lives for them. Some children's books that portray animals with human traits do attempt to instill compassion and respect but I don't think Curious George does this - it's only message is that George is either being " good " (behaving himself) or " bad " (curious). Susan - Karen Detling <kdetling Saturday, February 16, 2002 3:56 PM Children's Books > I am really enjoying the discussion of children's books. I have two small children, and I am currently taking a children's literature course as part of my masters in library science, so it's given me some issues to think about. I had several thoughts. > > 1. Veggie Tales - I have avoided them because we are not religious. My MIL gave my daughter a Veggie Tales tape, but we haven't passed it on to her. I'll listen to it first. > > 2. Animals given human qualities - this is an interesting subject. To be honest, it has never bothered me. In fact, to play the devil's advocate, let me say that I think it can be a good thing. Children may be more likely to identify with animals if they see them doing things like they do and having similar feelings. At some point, children will realize that bears do not wear glasses and suits (at least not willingly). Also, what about a book like Charlotte's Web? The animals talk and have human qualities, but it is a wonderful story. The family does eat meat though. > > 3. What I object to are all the farm animal books for kids. They make the farm look like paradise. Heck, I'd like to live there too if all I had to do was frolic all day. They don't show the reality and, of course, don't let children know that that the little pink piggy is going to be pork chops. I always threaten to write my own children's book called something like " Petey Pig Takes a Ride, " in which the cute little piggy is all excited about his ride on the big truck, but ends up at the slaughter house. It is interesting to me how our society instills a love of animals in children through books, but then dupes them into thinking that eating meat isn't really eating their friends. Give me a break. > > When we see meat in books, I tell my daughter what it really is - see those hotdogs, those are made from cows and pigs. She's starting to say that she doesn't eat cow, pig, etc., because they are her friends. Her daycare provider said that my daughter is very aware that she doesn't eat meat and if her friends offer it to her she says no. (The teacher also steps in to be sure she doesn't get any.) > > Karen > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2002 Report Share Posted February 20, 2002 You know - I never thought of Curious George that way. I loved Curious George books as a child and was thinking of getting some for my dd. But now I think I won't. I have run into that problem other times. Things I remembered loving as a child and then I went to get them for my dd and I was like - " this is horrible! " I bought her some children's folk music CDs (Burl Ives, Pete Seeger) that I listened to as a kid and half the songs are about hunting and eating animals. I totally didn't realize that until I listened to them with her and after several rounds started picking up on what the songs were about. Rachael , " Susan & Jed Civic " <civics@s...> wrote: > I haven't seen anyone mention Curious George yet. The premise of the story > is that George was taken out of the jungle by the man with the yellow hat. > At first he's unhappy and misses his family and friends, but then he becomes > happy again when he's taken to live at the zoo " with his friends " . In a > later book, the man with the yellow hat wants to have a birthday party for > George to celebrate the day that the man in the yellow hat took George home > to live with him! In other words, the author acknowledges that animals have > feelings (they're sad when you take them away from their family and friends) > but it's Ok because they're better off in the zoo or living among humans > and concrete. And maybe another message is that animals and children are > the same and they both need adult humans to tell them what to do and control > their lives for them. Some children's books that portray animals with human > traits do attempt to instill compassion and respect but I don't think > Curious George does this - it's only message is that George is either being > " good " (behaving himself) or " bad " (curious). > > Susan > > - > Karen Detling <kdetling@h...> > > Saturday, February 16, 2002 3:56 PM > Children's Books > > > > I am really enjoying the discussion of children's books. I have two small > children, and I am currently taking a children's literature course as part > of my masters in library science, so it's given me some issues to think > about. I had several thoughts. > > > > 1. Veggie Tales - I have avoided them because we are not religious. My > MIL gave my daughter a Veggie Tales tape, but we haven't passed it on to > her. I'll listen to it first. > > > > 2. Animals given human qualities - this is an interesting subject. To be > honest, it has never bothered me. In fact, to play the devil's advocate, > let me say that I think it can be a good thing. Children may be more likely > to identify with animals if they see them doing things like they do and > having similar feelings. At some point, children will realize that bears do > not wear glasses and suits (at least not willingly). Also, what about a > book like Charlotte's Web? The animals talk and have human qualities, but > it is a wonderful story. The family does eat meat though. > > > > 3. What I object to are all the farm animal books for kids. They make > the farm look like paradise. Heck, I'd like to live there too if all I had > to do was frolic all day. They don't show the reality and, of course, don't > let children know that that the little pink piggy is going to be pork chops. > I always threaten to write my own children's book called something like > " Petey Pig Takes a Ride, " in which the cute little piggy is all excited > about his ride on the big truck, but ends up at the slaughter house. It is > interesting to me how our society instills a love of animals in children > through books, but then dupes them into thinking that eating meat isn't > really eating their friends. Give me a break. > > > > When we see meat in books, I tell my daughter what it really is - see > those hotdogs, those are made from cows and pigs. She's starting to say that > she doesn't eat cow, pig, etc., because they are her friends. Her daycare > provider said that my daughter is very aware that she doesn't eat meat and > if her friends offer it to her she says no. (The teacher also steps in to > be sure she doesn't get any.) > > > > Karen > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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