"Dead Bird" by the person who wrote "Goodnight Moon" (Margaret Wise Brown.) I teach pre-school and a parent brought this in for me to read to the class. I kid you not! Very biazarre!!!!

We just got several Clifford books for Christmas and they are already driving me nuts. One tells Clifford's origin story and includes the owner of the mother dog saying Emily Elizabeth should not choose that one because he's the runt, and then her father saying Clifford probably won't make it through the winter. Why is that necessary??

Another one is part of the Clifford series on character, and the theme for this one is "be truthful," but I see little in it about that message. But the worst part is when Clifford's friend gives him a gift and Emily Elizabeth doesn't want him to have it, so she thanks the girl but slips the gift to another person--literally simultaneously. Why would you include that on a book about being truthful? That makes no sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS is a great thread.
(1) Love when Tallulah gets in the bathtub with Maisy.
She IS pushy but it is just so unexpected and too funny. We always had good laugh about that one.
(2) Don't like most Sandra Boyton. Why does she have to introduce the word "ugly" so often in cute toddler rhyming books. It's odd.
(3) Agree that Mo Willem's pigeon series is annyone. But love Piggie & Gerald.
(4)My MIL gave us "I Love You Forever," too. Creepy.
(5) Runaway Bunny is creepy. Many years ago, husband took to quoting the page "Become the wind and blow you." Never could read with a straight face again.

SO glad my husband isn't the only one who does this...I seriously cannot read that page now!

How about "I Love You, Goodnight" when the mom says "I love you like wind loves blowing?!?" DH and I giggle at that one.
Haven't read the whole thread but what about "Goodnight Gorilla," where the animals all sneak into the house and get in bed with the wife? Creepy.

OMG, it is one of the creepiest children's books I've encountered, and I've read quite a few. The page where all three of them are in bed always made me snicker.

Anonymous wrote:Hands down, Maisy takes a Bath. Its beyond creepy. Maisy runs a bath, gets a visit from Tallulah but tells her that its her bath time and she can't play right now. Maisy gets into the bath and the door rings again. She goes back down to answer the door, Tallulah pushes past her and goes upstairs. Tallulah takes off her clothes and gets into the bath with Maisy. So they can play together. I don't care about the could-be-contrived homosexuality in the book. Its that Tallulah is so pushy and who joins a friend in a bath??? Its just bizarre.

I totally agree - I thought the same thing when I read it with my kids. SO WEIRD.

I love you forever is also weird. And my mother in law gave it to us too.

On Little House, if your kids are small try the "My First Little House" books series. They are illustrated bits of some of the lovely scenes and stories from the first few books. Like-- cousins come to visit for Christmas, or dance at grandpas, or sugar snow, or building the prairie house. Of course there are none of the troublesome parts or language. It's a way to share the lovely Little House stories without wading into difficult waters too soon.

I try not to take things too seriously but the Curious George books drive me insane. They KIDNAP him from the jungle and then spend the whole book getting mad at him for doing things that MONKEYS DO. Makes me crazy. We don't read them because the steam blowing out of my ears burns the children.

I find the Thomas books weird - half the time they rhyme, half the time they don't, I can't get into a rhythm on them.

Llama llama red pajama books drive me NUTS!