Afal Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,249 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted November 18, 2007 PC publishers ban dragon from breathing fire in children's book... because it's too dangerous By KURT BAYER and JAMES TAPPER A leading children's author was told to drop a fire-breathing dragon shown in a new book - because the publishers feared they could be sued under health and safety regulations. It is just one of the politically correct cuts Lindsey Gardiner says she has been told to make in case youngsters act out the stories. As well as the scene showing her dragon toasting marshmallows with his breath, illustrations of an electric cooker with one element glowing red and of a boy on a ladder have had to go. Ms Gardiner, 36, who has written and illustrated 15 internationally successful children's books, featuring her popular characters Lola, Poppy and Max, says such editing decisions are now common. In Who Wants A Dragon? - published by Orchard Books last year - Ms Gardiner says: "I was told, 'You can't have the dragon breathing fire because it goes against health and safety.' "It doesn't really make any sense. "Sales and marketing departments are worried something might offend somebody, or that a child might copy something in a book and their parents will sue the publisher." Pointing out that classic fairy tales such as Hansel And Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood would not get published today, Ms Gardiner said: 'It's a sad reflection of modern society." In When Poppy And Max Grow Up, published by Orchard Books in 2001, Max was originally shown on a ladder "They didn't allow that because they thought it was precarious," said Ms Gardiner. "Then I had to change the element on a cooker from glowing red to green. "It is crazy. When I go to book signings, I sometimes take with me some colouring pictures, and the kids draw the elements as red because the cooker is on and it's hot. They are not stupid. "I've had books published in Japan, France, Spain and Holland and they don't ask for the same changes. "It seems to be in Britain and the U.S. that there are problems." Nobody from Orchard Books was available for comment but a spokesman for the Publishers Association said: "We are aware of some concerns by authors and it is something we can talk about in the industry." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletprayers Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 135 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 7,537 Content Per Day: 1.08 Reputation: 157 Days Won: 2 Joined: 04/06/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/29/1956 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Well yeah, a small child may ask his dragon to toast his mars............hey wait a minute! Unbelievable ain't it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.76 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.95 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted November 18, 2007 PC is just getting dumber and dumber.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern lass Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 106 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,072 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 25 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/13/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/27/1948 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Whatever next? Can it get any worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afal Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,249 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted November 18, 2007 Can it get any worse? My initial response to your question was no, but sadly I think that it can still get even more worse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afal Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,249 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted November 18, 2007 Unbelievable ain't it! YEP!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunterpoet Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 0 Topic Count: 128 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,704 Content Per Day: 0.44 Reputation: 25 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/29/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/08/1950 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Dragons that don't breath fire, bears that eat only honey and berries, friendly alligators and lions that wouldn't hurt a fly. And we wonder why our kids grow up all confused? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingwalker Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 970 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/20/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted November 18, 2007 Dragons cannot breath fire but a child can have two mommies or daddies? Is the Bugs Bunny show still too violent? My children never had any confusion over what was fictional and what was real. Why on earth do people think that today's children cannot separate fact from fiction? Are these people living a fictional life while the real world goes on unnoticed? Is Watership Down, by Richard Adams, or Dr. Suess banned from the school libraries? What is going to happen to the next generation if we feed them the warm and fuzzy world of fiction is all they can think about? I understand "child proofing" homes for infants and toddlers, to keep them safe from possible hazards in cupboards and kitchen drawers. There also comes a time when the children are taught about the dangers in the home and not to stick things in light sockets or touch a hot stove. Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, books that our parents read to us, that I read to my children, those that turned into movies, are these too going to be "edited" so that the future generation's fantasies are politically correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladypeartree Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 37 Topic Count: 539 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 32,736 Content Per Day: 5.02 Reputation: 23,391 Days Won: 221 Joined: 06/21/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/23/1953 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Does this mean I have to stop my dragon from taosting my marshmarlows in case I am reported to the society against imagination ?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afal Posted November 18, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,249 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted November 18, 2007 Does this mean I have to stop my dragon from taosting my marshmarlows in case I am reported to the society against imagination ?????? Guess so! :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts