Okay, so being the dedicated father that I am I like to read bedtime stories to the boys. They drift off to sleep better that way sometimes. I was reading this version of The Swiss Family Robinson only to find out that it is nothing like the Disney move from the 1960s that most of us remember seeing over the years. In fact, Disney did a lot to sanitize this story full of gore and bloodshed. No kidding! It seems like these people KILL every beautiful exotic animal that they come across on this deserted island (e.g. pink flamingos, a tortoise, a kangaroo, etc). On top of that, a boa constrictor kills their mule and swallows it. And there are wonderful illustrations showing this stuff too. So I found myself telling Elisabeth the other night. "We are not reading this book to the kids until they are older." I didn't realize that Disney softened the blow so much. By the way, there were no pirates in this story like in the movie. I think they put the pirates in to replace the horrible story about the boa constrictor. I think I'll read David Copperfield to them in the Great Illustrated Classic version. That shouldn't be too bad.
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