My
kids all love(d) Richard Scarry's book, "The Polite Elephant." And of
course I appreciate a cute, appealing book that also tries to teach my
toddlers to say "please" and "thank you."
My problem with "The
Polite Elephant" is that, although it was published in 1998, it feels
terribly dated to me. According to Scarry, when the Polite Elephant
gets on the bus, "he always offers his seat to a lady," which never
fails to strike me as chauvanistic. He also understands that "some
rooms are for sitting and others are for playing" - which, while it may
be true in some houses, is not particulary high on my list of important
manners I want my children to have.
What I really need Richard Scarry to teach my toddlers is . . .
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