Children's books that make you feel :?

[Kristie]

I'm sorry-- I know there are people here who adore this book, but I hate it. I hate it hate it.

Why? Is it the anthropomorphic aspect?

Well, no. Perhaps a bit.

A tree loves a boy with all her heart. He grows up to be a user who takes her love and uses it against her-- talks her out of her limbs, her body, and leaves her a stump. What a hateful story.

I'm sorry. I can't see it any other way. I've tried.

I've never read that one.

[hadespussercats]

A lot of my friends are just as disturbed by it as I am. Maybe it's a childless thing.

I don't know the story. But I have to say, the idea I'd climb a ladder and sneak into my adult son's bedroom to rock him while he slept...

yeah. seems creepy.

But maybe if I read the story, I'd see the whimsy...

[hadespussercats]

I'm sorry-- I know there are people here who adore this book, but I hate it. I hate it hate it.

Why? Is it the anthropomorphic aspect?

Well, no. Perhaps a bit.

A tree loves a boy with all her heart. He grows up to be a user who takes her love and uses it against her-- talks her out of her limbs, her body, and leaves her a stump. What a hateful story.

I'm sorry. I can't see it any other way. I've tried.

I've never read that one.

I love Shel Silverstein-- with the same sort of warmth I feel for Jim Henson.

This was not his best work.

But then, some people see it as his masterpiece.

[Twoflower]

I like it but it makes me sad.

[hadespussercats]

I'm turned off by that book because I have a friend who infantalises her 19-year-old son to an unhealthy degree and it reminds me of her inability to recognise that he's an adult now and treat him as such.

I was joking about that with J the other day.

We were talking about making the shift from the carrier to the stroller. "But but my baybee! I was planning to carry him until he was at least twelve! I need you to need me! I need you to need me!"

[SteveB]

So no one else finds this disturbing: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... ah%27s+ark?

[Kristie]

Just Googled the tree story. I see it as a story of how Moms give of themselves until they've got nothing left. And even then, the freaking kids still aren't happy!

[Kristie]

So no one else finds this disturbing: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... ah%27s+ark?

[Bella Fortuna]

I'm turned off by that book because I have a friend who infantalises her 19-year-old son to an unhealthy degree and it reminds me of her inability to recognise that he's an adult now and treat him as such.

I was joking about that with J the other day.

We were talking about making the shift from the carrier to the stroller. "But but my baybee! I was planning to carry him until he was at least twelve! I need you to need me! I need you to need me!"

I laugh, but that's totally what's happened to her...

[hadespussercats]

I'm turned off by that book because I have a friend who infantalises her 19-year-old son to an unhealthy degree and it reminds me of her inability to recognise that he's an adult now and treat him as such.

I was joking about that with J the other day.

We were talking about making the shift from the carrier to the stroller. "But but my baybee! I was planning to carry him until he was at least twelve! I need you to need me! I need you to need me!"

I laugh, but that's totally what's happened to her...

Maybe she should get a dog.

[hadespussercats]

Just Googled the tree story. I see it as a story of how Moms give of themselves until they've got nothing left. And even then, the freaking kids still aren't happy!

That works!

Not exactly what I'm looking for in my children's literature.

[Twoflower]

Hmmmm maybe I should interview parents from ratz on what they want in their children's literature.

[Bella Fortuna]

I'm turned off by that book because I have a friend who infantalises her 19-year-old son to an unhealthy degree and it reminds me of her inability to recognise that he's an adult now and treat him as such.

I was joking about that with J the other day.

We were talking about making the shift from the carrier to the stroller. "But but my baybee! I was planning to carry him until he was at least twelve! I need you to need me! I need you to need me!"

I laugh, but that's totally what's happened to her...

Maybe she should get a dog.

She has two. Her "babies." And she is their "mommy."

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Yeah, I probably would have too. We had another teacher who had a big anti-nazi thing, who made us read things like "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" (and for some reason a book I think might have been called Someone Something and the Phantom Toolbooth. I'm really dragging the memory lake here so it might be wrong or I might be making it up, my long term memory not easily accessed.

The Phantom Tollbooth is OSSUM!!1!!

One of my favourite books as a child.

Heck yes. Phantom Tollbooth is amazing. Read it to mine when he was a wee one and I got far more out of it because I got all the puns and references.

I kind of thought you might have read that book. But I was wary of jumping to conclusions...