We borrowed some books from the library this past weekend. My daughter picked out Pecan Pie Baby, which she loves and I absolutely cannot stand. The pictures are cute and the story is nice, if you can overlook the terrible writing. When I read it, I omit certain words and change the sentences to use proper English. 
What kids books do you hate? What's the worst kids book you have read recently?
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@oliviaoblivia: Allll Dr Seuss books are!! I hate most of them.
pineapple / 12793 posts
@mediagirl: I know! There's just something about the whinyness of green eggs that drives me bonkers. I can manage the others with more grace but I talk her out of green eggs. Not in a box not with a fox!
grapefruit / 4717 posts
Possibly unpopular opinion, but DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, by Adam Rubin. The story is all over the place with not much continuity. Other unpopular opinion: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. *ducks*
ETA: Seuss, too. Not a huge fan of the made-up words.
pineapple / 12793 posts
@pregnantbee: you don't like spicy salsa?! I don't really get Where the Wild Things Are either.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@mediagirl: Me tooo! I thought I was the only one! I never saw why they are so popular! I didn't read them growing up.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@pregnantbee: dyk - I have never read that one! (Wild Things)
grapefruit / 4988 posts
I hate reading Guess How Much I Love You, and LO doesn't like it either. We have been given at least 3 different copies (in addition to 2 or 3 stuffed nut brown hares), so I'm guessing that most people like this one but I don't get it.
However, the very worse book I've ever read was one given to us by my aunt (and promptly donated): Barbie Fairytopia. So many things wrong with that.
@pregnantbee: I also don't like Dragons Love Tacos. It's annoying to read.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@catlady: that one bugs me. I don't like that big nut brown hair is one-upping little nut brown hair. Just let little nut brown hair WIN for once!
persimmon / 1483 posts
The Litle Engine That Could .... I know it's a classic but I hate it. It also takes forever to read because my 2.5 yo is in a "why" phase and has 1,000 questions about why the other trains won't help.
I also hate the Daniel Tiger books - they're basically poorly transcribed versions of the TV episodes and the extreme overuse of "..." throughout the book drives me crazy.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
OH, also add in the transcribed TV versions of Thomas the Tank Engine. UGH.
@Madison43: Thanks for the reminder about TV-to-Book!
pear / 1696 posts
The "Froggy" series, we have Froggy Goes to the Doctor and its just so annoying. I'm going to donate it when my son isn't looking.
pomegranate / 3393 posts
@pregnantbee: omg, SIL just sent LO the Dragons book last week, and reading it I was like, wtf is this? I'm scratching my head at that one for sure.
grapefruit / 4819 posts
@catlady: Yes! I just opened this thread to mention that one - I can't stand guess how much I love you, and neither can my girls.
Dr Seuss drives me crazy but I don't mind some of his books (Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You?, and There's a Wocket in my Pocket are two I actually enjoy).
I'm sure there are more I can't stand but those are the ones that come to mind first!
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@MoonMoon: DH went rogue and bought it without my knowledge. I thought it was missing pages! So I went to the library to take a look at another copy. NOPE. Just poorly written.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
@catlady: I don't like that one either!
@oliviaoblivia: I've hidden this one 
I don't mind most books, but I've read Dr. Suess's ABC book a billion times. I can recite it in my sleep. But it's his favorite...
What I really don't like are the big picture books? Like...here's a page just filled with pictures of construction vehicles, with the names under them? I guess they're fine, but E always wants to read them as a bedtime story.
pomegranate / 3393 posts
@pregnantbee: yes. Plus I think not liking spicy salsa is setting a poor example for impressionable young minds! Not to mention we're vegetarians... The whole thing is a cluster.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@MoonMoon: Yes! DH has changed the repeated word "hate" to "doesn't like" b/c it's just too much. I hope we can make the book disappear. I'll donate it to the library 
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@lovehoneybee: Like CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO? I cringe if DS wants to read that at bedtime, and then I pull out something much shorter 
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@pregnantbee: @MoonMoon: huh. Interesting. Maybe that is where my kid's fear of anything spicy came from....
grapefruit / 4085 posts
@lady grey: Haha - we actually like those and for some reason the Dr one is M's new fav even though she hates going.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@mediagirl: Hmmm, interesting thought. Kids are VERY impressionable.....
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@mediagirl: The Paper Bag Princess. This one drives me FREAKING INSANE. My strongly-feminist MIL gave it to us and both DH and I want to burn it. We hid it.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
@pregnantbee: That one, too, but specifically My Big Truck Book (or any of the My Big Board Books). I don't know why they annoy me so much, but they do!
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
There are a couple books we were gifted that I really dislike because the "message" is totally off from what I hope to teach lo
-Giraffes Can't Dance: the other animals are so mean and judgey, and it's super conformist
-Duck and Goose books: we have "Goose Needs a Hug" or something like that, and it grates on my nerves so badly that the stupid ducks won't listen to Goose...
-Angelina Ballerina has this weird line about letting the boys "catch" her on the playground
There are others I'm sure...OH also dh and I always skip "K" in the Seuss ABC book because that's just awkward...
blogger / kiwi / 626 posts
So sad, I love Dr. Suess books. But I totally get why people don't. My least favorite books right now are these horrible Mirabelle books. They are about a Boston terrier and her owner and the writing kills me. LeLe loves them and they make me stabby.
eggplant / 11716 posts
@mediagirl: wow, Jacqueline Woodson has 3 Newberry honors and several Coretta Scott King awards, I've enver heard anyone describe her writing as terrible before. Is it the vernacular style you don't like? Her books were wildly popular in the library when I worked in an elementary school.
persimmon / 1364 posts
@nana87: awww we love Giraffes Can't Dance. It's one of our favorites.
I really dislike Guess How Much I Love You. I always trip up over the words when reading it. It just doesn't flow well.
Also DH and I just can't get on board with Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We don't have them but just think they are very boring.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
@jojogirl: why do you hate the paper bag princess?
Surprised at all the hate for Dr. Seuss too! But maybe you all are thinking of the really childish books that have no purpose other than introducing basic words and rhyming schemes. When I think of dr. Seuss, I think of the Lorax, horton hears a who, the butter battle book, oh the places you'll go, etc. To each their own of course though!
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@DesertDreams88: Because I don't want to explain to my 2 year old what the word "bum" means at the end, and I don't think it's a fun read at all- plus she just wants to stare at page 1 where elizabeth still has on her "beautiful dress" and "beautiful hair", and she doesn't like the rest of it because Elizabeth looks "scary" - so it had the opposite of intended effect on her.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@catlady: omg, I don't know why they have to make us say "big nutbrown hare"... It's such a long name for a kids book!!
eggplant / 11716 posts
@snowjewelz: I don't like "big nutbrown hare" either....too repetitive and too much of a mouthful. We also got Guess Who Loves You as a gift....why is it so often given as gifts?
pomegranate / 3845 posts
I hate Sandra Boynton's Dog book. I hate trying to make all the noises lol.
Love love Dr. Seuss!!!
grapefruit / 4361 posts
@jojogirl: Ahh, gotcha, makes sense! I read it with my 5th graders so I did not experience the same roadblocks
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@DesertDreams88: Hahahah! OMG, yes totally different audience. Keeping in mind my MIL gave me this book knowing full well she is 2...
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