Rating: 
Summary: There's a lesson in this....
Review: It's hard not to burst into xenophobic raptures when contemplating this bizarre little book. I mean, where else could a children's book of such an austere and humourless moral tone have originated than nineteenth century Germany? Have you heard the story of Harriet who played with matches? She BURNS TO DEATH! What should happen to naughty Conrad who sucks his thumbs when his mother isn't looking? The Long Legged Scissor Man leaps out of a door and CUTS HIS THUMBS OF WITH A HUGE PAIR OF SHEARS, OF COURSE! And what of Augustus, who wouldn't eat his soup? HE STARVES TO DEATH! Naturally! The only thing more ghastly than reading this to your lovely child as she or he is tucked up in bed is reading it in the original German: fear not if you don't understand German; in fact it's even better that way: far more scary! And all illustrated in the most grotesque fashion, sure to surprise, delight and permanently derange even the most pleasantly disposed child. Well, it never did me any harm...
Rating:
Summary: There's a lesson in this....
Review: It's hard not to burst into xenophobic raptures when contemplating this bizarre little book. I mean, where else could a children's book of such an austere and humourless moral tone have originated than nineteenth century Germany? Have you heard the story of Harriet who played with matches? She BURNS TO DEATH! What should happen to naughty Conrad who sucks his thumbs when his mother isn't looking? The Long Legged Scissor Man leaps out of a door and CUTS HIS THUMBS OF WITH A HUGE PAIR OF SHEARS, OF COURSE! And what of Augustus, who wouldn't eat his soup? HE STARVES TO DEATH! Naturally! The only thing more ghastly than reading this to your lovely child as she or he is tucked up in bed is reading it in the original German: fear not if you don't understand German; in fact it's even better that way: far more scary! And all illustrated in the most grotesque fashion, sure to surprise, delight and permanently derange even the most pleasantly disposed child. Well, it never did me any harm...
Rating:
Summary: Gesundheit!
Review: My little sister and I were born in Germany (1950,1952), & our older sister learned German fluently. Mom brought this wonderful book (written in German) back from Germany and hid it in her closet, but we found it and frequently "read" it with great enjoyment, thrilled by the gruesome pictures of what happens to naughty little children who don't do as they ought. When Mom caught us she always scolded us. Over the years the book disappeared. We once reminisced, wondering what happened to this eccentric book, a link in our happy past. When I found it on the internet listed under German children's books, I bought several copies and passed them out - to everyone's delight & amazement.
Rating:
Summary: Gesundheit!
Review: My little sister and I were born in Germany (1950,1952), & our older sister learned German fluently. Mom brought this wonderful book (written in German) back from Germany and hid it in her closet, but we found it and frequently "read" it with great enjoyment, thrilled by the gruesome pictures of what happens to naughty little children who don't do as they ought. When Mom caught us she always scolded us. Over the years the book disappeared. We once reminisced, wondering what happened to this eccentric book, a link in our happy past. When I found it on the internet listed under German children's books, I bought several copies and passed them out - to everyone's delight & amazement.
Rating: 
Summary: They don't write them like this anymore (m)
Review: My mother & I were both raised on this book. It didn't scare us because the horrid, nasty things were all happening to children who were being particularly bad, and the so-called violence was as unrealistic as the witch eating Hansel & Gretel. Even a small child can distinguish these "tall tales" from reality. I will admit, that we grew up to be particularly law-abiding adults. Maybe there is a connection.
Rating:
Summary: Classic and disturbing with the original art
Review: This edition has the original (so far as I know) artwork and it's still disturbing after more than a century. There's another edition with excruciatingly vile new artwork that's sure to shake up even a hardened MTV tube-head kid, but I'm a sucker for the classics. Makes a great gift with the biggest pair of scissors you can find.
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