Mom protests after Santa murdered in kids' book

[Praxius]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080102/scary_book_080102/20080102?hub=Canada

A mother of two had the surprise of her life when she discovered a book her young sons received for Christmas had graphic descriptions of Santa Claus being murdered.

At first the gift looked harmless enough -- a book of short stories packaged in a mystery kit called Whodunit, that comes complete with a flashlight and magnifying glass.

A printed note on the box, purchased at a local Chapters book store in Maple Ridge, B.C., says it's appropriate for children over the age of seven.

The boys received the book from their grandfather who had no way of knowing the contents of the book because the package was sealed.

Krista Saunders said she won't be reading the stories to her boys anytime soon. She did however read a few passages to CTV during an interview.

"They discovered every child's worst nightmare, the lifeless body of Santa Claus," she read from a story titled, 'Who Killed Santa Claus'. "He was in a storage room his head bashed in by the butt end of a 44 revolver."

"It's not a book appropriate for kids of any age I would think," her husband Steve told CTV British Columbia.

Another passage described how the most famous chef in Texas was hacked to death with a meat cleaver. Another passage describes a child seeing bruises on his mother's arm.
Saunders was so upset, she went to Chapters to speak with the manager. The manager was shocked, she said.

The product is still being sold at the bookstore however and Saunders wants to see that changed.

"I want it pulled from the shelves," she said.
She received an email from a Chapters official saying the matter was being looked into.

Now I'm kinda curious who the author was, and what the hell was going through their minds when they thought this was appropreate for children?

 

[Brat]

And who is the publishing company?

Cheese and crackers!!!! That's ridiculous.
I wouldn't my kids reading that.

 

[Praxius]

I think the first clue this wasn't good for young children was the bad grammar in their name "Whodunits"

Whatever happened to the good old days where Ain't wasn't a Word, etc? Now we have so-called "Educational" books and games for our young ones, which not only seem to be loaded with about as much detailed violence as my old Mortal Kombat II for the Super Nintendo, but also bad grammar and spelling.

Now before someone comes along and says "Well Prax, you do realize Mortal Kombat is spelled incorrectly as well, with the 'K' and all, as well as having a lot of violence?"

And I says to Martha "Yes, but Mortal Kombat wasn't ment to be 'educational' nor was it geared for younger children... plus you knew what you were getting when you bought the game, based on the title alone."

I say more sex and less violence.... instead of games for kids like "Whodunits" have games like "Whoyagonnadoitto'z"

Make love not war

Wait a minute.... looking closer at the box there's a little blurb "Little Giant Book and Kit" Seriously.... Litte and Giant only go together when it involves tall people with small penises.

 

[karrie]

for pete's sake. I'd be so choked if I were the grandfather. truth in labeling... pull it, label it appropriately as a grown up game, and put it back. But you don't label accounts like that as appropriate for a seven year old. sheesh.

I once signed a picture book out of the library, from the children's section, without really taking a good look at it. I got it up front, the librarian scanned it, and asked "Have you looked through this book?" I replied "no". She informed me that it had been requested that the book be pulled from shelves due to graphic violent content (a book about a dog), and that as a compromise, they were warning parents to read the book before reading it to their children. So, we dutifully sat down, hubby and I, at home later to read it, thinking that it was probably some stupid hysterical parent complaining for no good reason. The premise of the book is that it's a dog's fantasy about FINALLY being able to snag the fingers of the mailman through the mail slot one day, and bit by bit, pull him through and eat him. Complete with the poetic explanation of how yummy it would feel to have his eyeballs pop in his mouth.

Some people, just have no notion of what is and isn't child appropriate. To market a picture book as a children's book, rather than to do the right thing and market it as a piece of art geared for an adult audience, is just plain stupid. And frankly, seems to me like looking for publicity.

 

[triedit]

I had a similar reaction when my Mother sent my son a book of stories about God and Christianity. Full of silliness like everybody came from Adam and Eve, and everything was wiped out by a flood. ;-)