Children's Literature

Okay, I've been telling everyone I know about this and it seems I am the only one who finds it very, very funny.

I bought a bunch of Berenstain Bears books for Abby and read her my favorite: "The New Baby."

The premise of the book is:

Small Bear wakes up one morning and realizes his knees and ankles hurt because (alas) his feet are hanging over the edge of the bed.

Papa Bear says, "By golly, we'll take you out to build a new, bigger bed for you!"

As they walk out the door, Mama Bear smugly rubs her obviously-pregnant belly and says to herself, "This is just in the nick of time."

Apparently, she has been growing a watermelon in her belly, unbeknown to Small Bear.

Papa Bear and Small Bear have a phenomenal day together, building a bigger bed. They return and Small Bear realizes his old bed is missing! Papa and Mama then point out that there is a new baby -- Sister Bear -- in his old bed.

Mama Bear went about giving birth while Papa and Small Bear were out on their father-son day trip.

How did I not question this as a child?

I will say, though, that I am eager to read more books of Abby's to find humor in them.

I was reading her Tom's favorite Curious George book in which George swallows a puzzle piece and has to go to the hospital to have it extracted. At the end, he takes the surgically-removed puzzle piece and completes the puzzle.

Of course, I am sitting there thinking about stomach acid and the damage done to the piece itself. Couldn't they have ordered a new one?

"Let's put this regurgitated puzzle piece back in the puzzle."

Sanitary? I think not.