Bad Babar

This little elephant came home with us from the library last week and all I can say is... Well, actually I was speechless for a while after reading it to be honest. I have read more books to kids in my career as a teacher than I care to remember but Babar is definitely one of those 'special' ones. See for yourself....

Looks harmless right? Nope, Babar should come with a warning: 'please do not operate heavy machinery or care for small children while under the influence of this elephant'. This page alone almost put me to sleep. 

Oh, I just hadn't the energy to keep track of these characters but I needn't have worried. Little Miss diverted my waning attention to this page. Now, apart from your traditional fairy tales, when do you ever see a nice little bit of violence thrown in to a kiddy book? Apparently when a certain monkey mistakes a dormant snake for a stick - an eye for an eye and all. Old lady biten = dead serpent. That monkey should have known better if you ask me.

Moving along, as I came to the end of the story it was clear that I needed to be paying more attention as there was a valuable lesson to be learnt. Never, ever, ever throw a lit match into an ashtray as it's guaranteed to hit the nearest flammable material (in this case, a waste paper basket) - and then you're really in trouble. See, there's always a moral to the story!

And, as I closed the book on little Babar (and hid it under the pile of other stories on the shelf) I was left with this image in my head. Now, I leave it with you...