Ladybirds Books under examination by 'sensitivity readers' for 'offensive content'
7 March 2023, 16:30
Ladybird Books' back catalogue of fairytales are reported to be under examination as sensitivity readers call out offensive content in the children's books.
Ladybird Books are believed to have hired 'sensitivity readers' to examine their back catalogue of fairytales in a bid to highlight offensive content within the children's books.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, a number of issues have been found within stories such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
The lack of diversity within the novels, ageism and presumptions of gender pronouns have been raised as issues within the books, as well as some of the messages hidden within the tales.
For example, some people could argue the idea of falling in love with a Prince or Princess before speaking to them sends the message to children that appearance is all that matters when it comes to romance.
The Penguin-owned publisher has not commented on the reports of the sensitivity reviews and have not announced whether the findings will be followed with changes to the classic books.
Author and sensitivity expert Virginia Mendez, who was not involved in the reported review of Ladybird books, said on the matter: "There are many things that we see less and less in newly published books, simply because they are no longer the norm. In some cases, things are just easily avoided.”
People have been sharing their opinions on the classic fairytale books and the idea of altering text from the past.
While some people agree that many of the messages within fairytale books can be damaging, others disagree and argue that past texts should not be edited.
One person wrote on Twitter: "Instead of re-writing these stories why don’t they come up with new ones & leave parents to decide if they want their children to read these well loved classics."
Another agreed: "Leave them alone! They are classic stories."
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