The book-banning and censorship are reaching absurd proportions. A school district in Florida just banned a beloved children’s book, “Everywhere Babies.” Caitlin Gibson wrote about it in the Washington Post. what’s next? “Goodnight Moon”? Some think it’s atheist because the little bunny doesn’t say its prayers. “Harold and the Purple Craton”? Why “purple? Is Harold gay? These censors don’t realize how ridiculous they are. They join the ranks of the ignoramuses who think they can ban ideas and books that are easily available on the internet and television.
The inspiration for the popular children’s picture book “Everywhere Babies” came to author Susan Meyers more than 25 years ago, after the birth of her first grandchild. It was around Christmas, she recalls, and she kept seeing Nativity scenes everywhere — baby Jesus embraced by his doting mother, surrounded by kindly visitors. Meyers, deeply smitten with her 5-month-old grandson, was struck by the everyday, extraordinary miracle of babies in their earliest months of life, how their development touches the lives of everyone around them. So she decided to write about it.
Since its publication in 2001, “Everywhere Babies” — a whimsical, lyrical ode to infancy, illustrated by Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Marla Frazee — has become a staple of family bookshelves, a common recommendation in new parent groups, and a celebrated title on Best Books lists.
But for the first time in its history, “Everywhere Babies” was featured this week on an entirely different kind of list: The book was among dozens of works recently banned from public school libraries in Walton County, Fla. School district officials confirmed the removal of the books to WJHG-TV in Florida. Walton County School Superintendent Russell Hughes told the outlet that it was “necessary in this moment for me to make that decision and I did it for just a welfare of all involved, including our constituents, our teachers, and our students.”
Hughes did not respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education referred questions to Walton County, noting that “individual school districts are responsible for making these decisions,” and did not respond to follow-up questions….
Gibson interviewed the author Susan Meyers and illustrator Marla Frazee. They were shocked that their book was banned but thrilled to be in the company of illustrious writers like Toni Morrison and Judy Blume whose works were also banned.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Walton is two counties east of where I live in the Florida, Panhandle. It is the nexus of right wing Florida. It is home to many right wing Christians. current and retired military and, we must not forget, Matt Gaetz. Only about twenty percent of residents have not drunk the Kool Aid.
One of my closest friends moved from there because, i part, it was too extreme right wing. He is retired navy.
Florida is the “theater of the absurd,” as are some of the other red states.
When I was a young teacher, I was subjected to an inservice put on by a law enforcement agency. It was a canned program, derived during the days of “Just Say No” and “Dare”. The main topic was how hard metal rock was ruining our youth.
They told the usual horror stories: a kid committed suicide listening to Megadeath. Stan worship is the goal of Kiss. On and on.
The list of rock bands they held in disrepute was extensive, and included a satire rock band called the Stillborn Christians. I knew the lead guitar player. Capital fellow, actually. Dated a German Girl I knew in Raleigh.
Fast forward 30 years. There were these two girls I taught very recently. they were the picture of scholarly excellence. They were the picture of social and personal character. They did not wear it around, but you knew they were church-going. One day the younger of them came into class wearing an extremely tired expression and a brand new Kiss t-Shirt.
“Man you look tired.” I said sympathetically.
“We went to see Kiss with our parents last night, ” she responded. “We got in real late.”
After I scrapped myself off the floor from laughing, I told her of the inservice. She was the one we were warned about.
“Stan worship is the goal of Kiss.”
I’m impressed that Kiss appreciated Mr. Getz:
Getz. Oh my Lord! He was so great that people called the tone he achieved simply “The Sound.” I love this stuff.
So, yeah. I admit it. I am one of those Stan worshippers.
More INSANITY from Flo-ri-DUH!
This has been a go-to baby gift from me for ages. An absolutely charming book. What on earth could be objectionable about it? I’m baffled and saddened by this lunacy.
Appropriate response.
OK. I admit it. I had never read this book. So I checked out a video of it, read by a youthful voice. I must say that I now see why it was objectionable to someone in Florida. It is pretty obvious. None of these babies has gender. They all get loved on, supported. They are all cute, thanks to the author, who is obviously in favor of large groups. See, that’s the thing. Large groups of babies. This will make teens want to get pregnant. This will make people want to act socially (as in socialism?).
I suggest that anyone who criticizes the banning of this book read it for yourself. I was horrified.
Dr Seuss next? Bound to be so many subversive messages there.
No, the attack on Seuss has come from the left, for stereotypical depictions of nonwhite characters. But there is this:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/feb/11/michaelellison
Oh the minefields you go…..
Dr. Seuss’s books have already been censored with several withdrawn from publication because of illustrations that some people though offensive.
So they have. The standard ones crossed the Atlantic.
And I see that the Pro-Life hijacked ‘A person’s a person no matter how small’.
He will be next though. You’ll be left with ‘The Art of The Deal’ (children’s edition).
Suess self-censored by writing Horton Hears a Who as a sort of penance for his anti-Japanese cartoons. He is an interesting guy. He could be targeted as Antifa.
exactly
That’s one of the sides of War folk would rather not talk about; the demonising of the whole population of the opposition. It’s surprising how quickly and easily it seeps in.
And regarding Geisel
If you get attacked by both sides, you are probably doing something worthwhile.
I disagree that it was penance for his anti-Japanese American cartoons as he never once apologized for those cartoons.
I don’t know whether he apologized. I doubt he did. He drew them during a brutal war. Everything should be seen in context.
Hmmm, how far could this censorship, banning insanity go?
I can see it now. The only approved authors on public school library shelves will be Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump, Erik Trump, Ron DeSantis, Jeb Bush, Greg Abbot, Marjorie Taylor Green, et al.
And all of Marjorie Tayler Green’s books will be about how to kill libtards. The cover of her books will feature her wearing a bullet proof vest festooned with grenades while she is holding a machine gun.
Will the search for intelligent life in the Republican Party yield results? Thoughts?
They keep bolting in the face of the new extremism. I find this interesting. For awhile there, democrats would leave the party and join the Republicans or vice versa. Now republicans who cannot go along to get along just go away.
You seek the impossible.
There have been speculations that this exists in the Romney and Cheney star systems.
Bob, those systems are many light years away from the tRumpublican GOP.
In a galaxy far, far away–too far to have any effect on policy, alas.
I did NAZI that coming!
lol
Rainbow Fish was a fish that swam about in a sort of self-imposed lonely exile due to all the other fish’s envy for him and his beautiful scales. He gives away his scales one by one and becomes accepted by all the other fish, who swim around flashing the scales they got off Rainbow Fish, which is much more rewarding than keeping himself aloof.
Obviously a socialist tract.
There’s a sidewalk scene where two men are walking with their arms around each other. I suppose that’s why it was banned. Or maybe it was the pic of the mother breastfeeding?
It could have been two brothers or a father and son, but people with sex o their brains immediately think “gay,” must be banned.
Start with this?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040385/
The homophobia involved in banning this book is utterly disgusting and shameful.
It’s an attack on families by people who claim to care about family values.