TBR Special: Children’s Books
Today’s book review is my entry in the Daddy Types Baby Book Review Contest, otherwise known as the good, the bad, and dear lord don’t make me read this again.
The Good
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems. I love this book, in which a pigeon employs a series of negotiating tactics to try get to drive a bus. My son and I usually read it together, with his job being to say "NO!" each time. At age 4, you get to hear "no" a lot, so he loves being the one to say no. The line drawing pictures are funny, and convey the pigeon’s increasing desperation as the book progresses. The book has also provided a means to turn real-world whine-fests into a game, as we point out strategies from the pigeon that D. has skipped (e.g. "You forgot to say that you bet my mommy would let you.") The bus driver comes back before the pigeon gets to drive the bus — but then it sees an unoccupied truck.
The Bad
My Big Train Book, by Roger Priddy. This falls into the category of "train porn." No attempt at plot. No clever drawings. No rhythmic language. Just close-ups of trains. Red trains. Yellow trains. German trains. Japanese trains. Commuter trains. Freight trains. High-speed trains.
Dear Lord, Don’t Make Me Read This Again
The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle, by Stan and Jan Berenstain. We got this one as a gift, and I hate it. So of course, D loves it. I keep trying to bury it at the back of his bookshelf, and he keeps digging it out.
So what do I hate about this book?
- The generic characters, identified only by their roles in the family. Of course Brother plays with dinosaurs and Sister is scared of spooky stories.
- The way the parents give in to the kids’ whining and foot-dragging. I’d be happier if Papa only said "Ok, because you asked nicely" instead "If I must" before carrying the little bears up the stairs.
- The way the father is portrayed as incompetant, unable to give a simple bath without putting too much bubble bath in the tub.
- The insipid drawings, which don’t tell any story beyond the text.
August 9th, 2005 at 8:58 pm
I agree about the berenstein bears. My personal unfavorite is the book in which Sister is being bullied, and Brother eventually teaches her to box so that she can fight the bully, which she then does, engaging in her own vigilante justice.
I’m not a rigid pacifist, but I really do think that there should be a means for dealing with bullys on playgrounds in school, that does not involve in engaging in your own little war.
bj
PS: if you haven’t checked them out, I highly recommend many things by Pinkwater, especially the Polar Bear series.
August 9th, 2005 at 10:52 pm
Ditto on the Berenstain Bears. We have a couple of them, and it drives me crazy, how the Dad is always doing something that’s somehow incompetent, and the Brother and Sister are always doing “boy” and “girl” things. But my kid, age 3, loves them.
August 10th, 2005 at 6:33 am
Ditto on the Bears.
August 10th, 2005 at 11:29 am
Ack, can’t stand those stupid bears! They are not allowed in this house, either as gifts or from the library. Just way too insipid and stereotypical – for all the reasons you mentioned. I really hate how the father is always portrayed as a complete oaf. I really don’t understand why these books are as widespread as they are.
August 10th, 2005 at 11:50 am
Oh, how I hated the Berenstain Bears! Insipid and stereotypical are about the nicest things you can say about them. I’m glad our daughter outgrew them and can read to herself now.
The pigeon driving the bus book sounds great — I’ll have to remember that for when the boy gets old enough for something other than board books.
August 10th, 2005 at 1:55 pm
I LOATHE the Berenstein Bears. I have most of those books hidden in the attic. I am a big fan of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus as well as The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. Another good book is Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester.
August 10th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
My number one pet peeve about the Berenstain Bears is that, not only is the father portrayed as a buffoon, but the mother is always right. Ack!
Of course, when we went to the library last week, my daughter had to check out 3 of them.
August 10th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
That pigeon books sounds awesome.
Oh, and “train porn”. Heh. Heh. My hubbie is a railfan, and that’s what I call his subscription to “Trains” magazine.
August 10th, 2005 at 8:10 pm
Well, you just made me very grateful for the fact that my kids are now reading wonderful books like The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird, and we can have lively, enlightened discussions about them…I guess that’s one of the (few) benefits of having teenagers!
August 10th, 2005 at 11:24 pm
Another *fabulous* Mo Willens book is Knuffle Bunny, something that any parent with a child who has a comfort object should read. Great pictures and a great story about a girl, her bunny, and her parents (and laundry).
August 11th, 2005 at 9:37 am
Book Review Contest: Bus-Driving Pigeons, Big Trains, & Berenstain Bears
Whoa, Elizabeth at Half-Changed World reviews three books at once. Here are excerpts: The Good Title: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Author/Illustrator: Mo WillemsMy son and I usually read it together, with his job being to say “NO!” each time. At…
August 11th, 2005 at 9:39 am
Book Review Contest: Bus-Driving Pigeons, Big Trains, & Berenstain Bears
Whoa, Elizabeth at Half-Changed World reviews three books at once. Here are excerpts: The Good Title: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Author/Illustrator: Mo WillemsMy son and I usually read it together, with his job being to say “NO!” each time. At…