Book The Third

Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffman

I am horrified that I had never read this one before. Written by doctor in the early days of the twentieth century who, in typically German fashion, decided that all of the children’s stories on the shelves were too saccharine, so wrote his own wherein disobedient children have horrible, often fatal things happen to them.

This is exactly what children’s literature should be – it doesn’t talk down to them, it tells good, funny and visceral stories that will capture their imagination.

Right, off to read this to the stepson…