Tuesday 7 September 2010

What is in a story?


Last Saturday i went out and brought Tabitha a new book for in the bath. She has one already that she loves but frankly i've got a bit sick of it. When i saw a copy of The Rainbow Fish in bath book format i got it straight away, it was always a favourite of mine when i was working at the nursery.

That night when Tabitha was being bathed by her Daddy i shouted to him to read her the new book and carried on cooking dinner.

I was shocked and stunned at his response when i went into the bathroom.
'What kind of moral is that?' 
You see Tabithas Daddy did not see Rainbow Fish as a tale about sharing as most people do.
'So if your beautiful or talented the only way to make friends is by giving away or 'sharing' your beauty? Is no-one allowed to be special anymore?'

I read the book again, he is kind of right.

This set me thinking about stories, how we interpret them and the morals they teach our children?

What books spring to mind for you?

2 comments:

  1. Laura Ruddick September 7 at 6:27pm
    I think the book that bugs me is Dear Zoo, I think by the end of it it's kind of encouraging children to keep pushing till they get something that's "perfect", what's wrong with the "cheeky monkey" isn't it an important lesson to learn that we cant always have what we want and not everyone/thing is perfect.

    It's intersting how different we see things, I wonder what the children's thoughts are on these books with 'interesting messages'

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  2. The Bad Baby was another that i remember as a child i don't think its even P.C anymore to call a child a bad baby even with the rumpita rumpita rumpita......

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