Poor Grammar in Children's Books

I honestly never paid too much attention to grammar until I learned a foreign language.  You start analyzing how this language is the same as the one you know (or think you know).  Especially if you learn a language with strict, complex rules, like German.  And at that point in my life, I became one of those irritating teenagers who corrects people when they speak.

<eye roll>

I have relaxed a bit since then (I only correct people in my head- some habits die hard), but when my daughter started reading, it stirred up my snobbery about grammar.

Have you actually read some of these children's books?

For example, A Pocket For Corduroy where the friendly bear is "looking for something to make a pocket out of" instead of "looking for something from which to make a pocket".

Luckily, I married someone who is just as irritated by the grammar.  He actually refuses to read it wrong (which is leading to other problems for our daughter, as she tries to match the printed word to how is sounds).  I guess I'm not surprised since he was eating Eats, Shoots, and Leaves when we were dating.

But the main problem here is this:  what do you do as a parent when you're trying to teach your children to speak correctly and every book they read is an example of the opposite?

It's the same problem as Frances.

I love Frances.

You know, the cute little GIRL badger?  But while I am personally torn about how I feel about the lesson in A Bargain For Frances (i.e. revenge), I am completely put off by A Birthday For Frances where we find our leading badger attempting to spell....incorrectly.  Like "GMMP" for "Cake".  It's cute, but not really for a beginning reader who is trying to associate the language with the words.

I never thought I would have to preview so many books for my daughter.  But between the questionable content and the poor grammar, it's truly difficult to find a great book.

You just have to wonder what editors get paid for.

Yes, that was on purpose.