What to do when your Mom or Dad says …
Don’t Slurp Your Soup!
Berry
1984
We have a lot of old Joy Berry books here at ALB. Her stuff from the 1980s is dated and I just don’t like the illustrations. However, her books are popular with kids. Rather, I should say they were popular with kids 30 years ago. I guess if it works for your library, then more power to you.
I will just throw some caution out there that since many of the topics are sensitive for both adults and kids, these books should be evaluated regularly. Language from even 20 years ago might be considered inappropriate in 2022.
This one is about table manners. Frankly, plenty of adults and kids would do well to review basic manners. Will a book make a difference? Probably not.
Mary
Good manners also includes not inflicting fugly art on children.
This would have been just as effective (or not) with much smaller, better-done art (or none) and the reminders in larger print.
The people who were kids when this came out now have their own kids, and maybe even grandkids. Weeeeeed this whole series and buy newer books for the children. Up to date language, un-ugly art.
And making the unmannered kid a fat slob boy, while the ones with manners are skinny girls is… not a good look (Minor props for one of the good girls being Black).
I know overweight men with excellent table manners, and skinny women without.
Did anyone else look at page 46 and say to themselves, “and don’t call me Shirley”?
Also, welcome back, Mary and Holly. I’ve been missing your posts.
I preferred Hergie (sp?) illustrations in her books.
Peter Pig and the germ, or bad manners monster or whatever that green thing is, make having bad table manners look funny while making having good manners look stuffy and boring. Also could Peter be related to Pig Pen from Peanuts?
Does he, too, get dirty walking in a snowstorm?
On page 46 and 47, is anyone else bothered by how the answer seems to come before the question? Placing the dialogue in a logical order seems like a technique that an illustrator should have mastered.
Does the average household even do the napkin-on-lap thing anymore?