Free Republic

A university library in the UK has placed trigger warnings for "white supremacy" on classic children's books such as Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. York St John University warned readers that historical children's stories written in the 19th and early 20th centuries under their Rees-Williams collection are likely to contain "offensive" examples of "white supremacy" and "colonialist narratives." An online disclaimer for the collection, entitled "Content warning and position statement" says: “Within the 150 years of children’s writing which is represented in the collection, there is a widespread occurrence of colonialist narratives which centre white supremacy, and racist and...

new children's book portrays former President Donald Trump as a valiant orange whose quest to "Make Fruitland Great Again" is thwarted by a "cheating" banana resembling President Joe Biden. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, ... , co-authored the forthcoming book, The Legend of Naranja, with her husband Andrew Gamberzky. Luna was elected as Florida's first Mexican-American congresswoman last year following a successful Trump-endorsed campaign. The Legend of Naranja, described on its website as being "loosely inspired by the 2020 presidential race," casts Trump as "Naranja"—the Spanish word for "orange"—and Biden as "Señor Banana." The book also describes Trump,...

A library in Alabama has reversed its decision from earlier this week to cancel a book reading event. It will now indeed welcome actor Kirk Cameron and his publisher, Brave Books, on Saturday, August 5, for the nationwide "See You at the Library" event. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System in Huntsville, Alabama, had said in a release on Wednesday afternoon that it would no longer accommodate the book reading event due to concerns about logistics and security as popularity for the event grew this week. Almost immediately afterward, Cameron and Brave Books challenged that decision to cancel it.

Children are being indoctrinated into everything that subverts traditional values these days, and in Canada that includes bringing children along when a loved one is being euthanized — which goes by the euphemism MAID for medical assistance in dying. Children are introduced into the medical killing fields by Canadian Virtual Hospice with its Medical Assistance in Dying Activity Book, described as being for children ages 6–12. In it, the child is taught how a person is killed during euthanasia: The three medicines work like this: The first medicine makes the person feel very relaxed and fall asleep. They may yawn...

The publisher of Roald Dahl, the famed children’s author who wrote “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “The BFG,” among other works, has collaborated with the Roald Dahl Story Co., which manages the works’ copyright and trademarks, to make hundreds of alterations in order not to offend anyone with Dahl’s original works. The Roald Dahl Story Co. admitted they had worked with Inclusive Minds, which monitors children’s literature for inclusion, diversity, and accessibility, The Washington Post reported. The Telegraph illuminated some of the changes made to Dahl’s books, and their report caused author Salman...

Five speech therapists in Hong Kong have been convicted of a conspiracy to publish seditious children’s books on Wednesday, in what is a major blow to free speech. The therapists were convicted of using allegories to describe the Chinese Communist oppression of Hong Kong. The charges refer to a set of picture books about wolves and sheep with the sheep resisting an invasion of their home by wolves — a thinly disguised reference to the Chinese oppression of Hong Kong. CNN:In one book, the wolves tried to takeover a village and eat the sheep, in another, 12 sheep are forced...

State Farm quickly distanced itself from a program that pushed books about gender fluidity on young children Monday after a new ad campaign slammed the insurance giant as "a creepy neighbor," but Consumers' Research thinks the insurance giant still has to "undo the damage" it caused. "Yesterday we launched our ad campaign calling out State Farm for donating books aimed at kindergartners on the topics of transgenderism and being non-binary… now they claim that they have ended their partnership with the GenderCool Project," Consumers' Research executive director Will Hild told Fox News Digital, calling the turn of events "an indication...

As Connor Boyack recently discovered, there is no such thing as bad publicity. The creator of the popular Tuttle Twins children’s book series, which reinforces libertarian values and free-market principles, saw his book sales surge after an established progressive magazine wrote a lengthy feature article attacking the books.Current Affairs published the expletive-laden piece in its July/August print issue, calling libertarianism “one of the most disgraceful political tendencies in the world.”Apparently, not everyone agreed with the far-left writer, Rob Larson, that a political philosophy grounded in individual rights, personal responsibility, and consent is “disgraceful.” Soon after the article appeared online at...

The world is full of sinister voices, always trying to lure your children toward extremist, far-right ideas. How can you protect your kids from growing up to be literally Hitler-- or worse-- Ben Shapiro? We did several minutes of research and found the 7 books you must avoid at all costs: 1. The Bible: This deeply problematic book teaches that all human beings are of one race, with only two genders, made in the image of God. Yeesh. Not a good look, God. 2. Any math book: Math is a gateway drug into the white supremacist idea of "either/or" thinking....

A publisher in Germany has censored a children’s book that said COVID-19 originated in China after Beijing demanded the book’s removal and an apology.Yes, really.The book, which was originally published a year ago, is called ‘A Corona Rainbow for Anna and Mortiz’ and serves as a guide for elementary schools and daycare centers to follow COVID-safe procedures.However, Beijing reacted with fury because the book had the nerve to tell the truth – that the virus originated in China.The Hamburg-based Chinese consulate threatened the publishing company with criminal charges if it didn’t remove the book from circulation and issue a groveling...

Will the cult of Anthony Fauci ever end? First it was Fauci underwear, branded by TMZ in its SEO link as a "hot commodity trend" and reported to be a "huge online seller." Then it Fauci socks, branding him a 'hero.' There were Fauci face masks. There was a Fauci Fan Club on Twitter, which is still up, its pinned tweet showing Fauci apparently leaning down to kiss a dog. There also was nomination of Fauci petition for People magazine's sexiest man alive. And this idiocy about how Fauci, plus New York's disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo and California's about to...

This month marks 143 years since Chief Joseph, leader of the Pacific Northwest Indian tribe the Nez Percé, surrendered to a U.S. Army detachment in northern Montana. There the warrior famously declared, “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”Others, however, are still eager to keep up the fight in the name of indigenous people. Demonstrators affiliated with the Miwok Tribe in San Rafael, California, on Oct. 13 vandalized and tore down yet another statue of Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra. Other ersatz torch-bearers of the cause include those municipalities, such as Baltimore and the District...

Among the byproducts of the worldwide mayhem and destruction carried out in solemn memory of career criminal George Floyd is that books on racism are selling almost as briskly as guns. As I write this, the #3 bestseller on Amazon is something called How to Be an Antiracist by one Ibram X. Kendi. This book is Kendi’s third. The first was The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and the Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965–1972 (2012); the second, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (2016), won the National Book Award, led to a Guggenheim...

Tomie DePaola’s children’s stories have sold more than 25 million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages. We said goodbye to him this week, but his legacy lives on.In a town in Calabria, a long time ago, there lived an old lady named Strega Nona, which meant “grandma witch.” If you were born after 1975 in the United States, you are probably familiar with these words, which come from the children’s book “Strega Nona,” first published that year. It won a Caldecott Honor the very next year, and was named one of the “Top 100 Picture Books” of...

Just when you thought it was safe to share your favorite childhood classics with your kids, the New York Times goes and ruins it with an article called "The Gay History of America's Classic Children's Books," by Jesse Green. From Frog and Toad to Goodnight Moon, we are told that our beloved stories are awash in "a secret language of queer compassion." I'm always bemused when people claim that beloved fictional characters are gay. A few months ago it was "Sesame Street's" Ernie and Bert, whose closet door was abruptly slammed shut by their creator, Frank Oz, after he got...

MIT Press is out with a new book that teaches children the tenets of Karl Marx with fairy tales. Communism for Kids, written by a German author who specializes in political theory and "queer politics," was released last month. The thesis of the children's book is that communism is "not that hard," but has not been implemented in the right way.

Dick Bruna, Artist And Author Of The Intricately Simple Miffy, Dies At 89 Colin Dwyer Dick Bruna at the opening of his 2005 exhibit of Miffy creations in the Hague. Bruna's iconic white rabbit proved to be popular worldwide. Miffy the rabbit seems quite simple. Two black dots for eyes, a sideways X for a mouth, a body inked in gentle curves — the artistry of Dick Bruna's creation rests precisely in its apparent artlessness. And in the six decades since Miffy was first put to page, Bruna's venerable rabbit has earned the affection of young fans worldwide, the admiration...

Simon & Schuster is launching an imprint to focus on books with Muslim characters and stories. SNIP Its first four books, set to be published in 2017, will be: “Salam Alaikum,” a picture book by recording artist Harris J.; “Musa, Moises, Mo and Kevin,” a picture book about four kindergarten best friends...SNIP...; and “Yo Soy Muslim,” a lyrical picture book by Mark Gonzales.

Dan from Squirrel Hill's Blog Oxford University Press bans pigs from children’s books, so here’s Porky Pig reciting the Pledge of Allegiance Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world.The Telegraph reports:The Oxford University Press has warned its writers not to mention pigs, sausages or pork-related words in children’s books, in an apparent bid to avoid offending Jews and Muslims.Jews?I’m Jewish, and I have neither been offended, nor heard of any Jew claiming to be offended, by pigs being mentioned in literature. On the contrary, I grew up with this stuff, and I love it. Here’s “Piggies” by...