Debatable: Worst Picture Book. Ever.–Recap
My first Debatable argument that Gene Wilder was such a vastly superior Willy Wonka than Johnny Depp, as suggested by Mike Allegra, won so amazingly, so soundly, that I felt uber confident I would easily win the second round.
I did not.
See–even the Cat is sad he didn’t win about being such a loser.
Mike questioned my acknowledged labeling of Love You Forever against The Cat in the Hat as the worst picture book ever as a frumpled win. No, I am not a “sore” loser–just a bit of a hair splitter. After all, even Mike admitted LYF isn’t a children’s picture book in that it is more of a picture book written for mothers.
Well, I shall not sour grapes the issue (a shameless plug for my monthly DOWO post). A win is a win. Congrats, Mike.
Next month we go Round III of Debatables. We hope you will continue to bear with our quibbling. Maybe you can help us figure out what to take on next for a topic. Here are the guidelines:
- Being children’s book writers, we are trying to keep topics close to books children read–picture books up to YA (Willy Wonka actor sparring was inspired by Dahl’s book)
- The more improbable the better–none of the usual Narnia vs Hobbit fare. Go for the silly, the extreme, the profound. Mike especially likes a challenge.
Do you have an issue of children’s bookery you would like to see Mike and I tackle? Send in your suggestions to either Mike or me in comments.
We’ll post the top picks and see what happens from there.
Pam Webb 
Yes, I have a suggestion. Yes, me in the back.
Which very popular children’s book has the most awful rhyming? I’m very sick of picking a book to read with my children at the library, and being treated to unmetered, mismetered, unoriginal, uninteresting attempts at primary-age-learned skills.
Ooh, that’s a good one. And I peg you for a front row kind of student😊
Heck no. Then you get hit in the back of the head with spitballs. Maybe more of a third row sort.
Or… whatever’s left because I’m late for class. Sorry about that.
I can assert right now that the worst rhyming picture books have all been written by celebrities.
I fear to cast stones from my glass house.
Celebrity I am not, but I have sold verse (and who am I to say others have done it worse?)
But I was certain they didn’t actually “write” them.
Oh, they did. That’s why they’re so terrible.
Aha!
More’s the pity. I’d do it for half what they probably paid and do twice as good a job.
You two might also go for best illustrator with worst story (my vote may be some of the Eric Carle ones there), worst illustrator with best story, the tale that encourages the worst copycat behavior (Oh, Were They Ever Happy or No, David!), and the best twisted picture book (Bark, George! perhaps, or that evil carrots one as examples).
All righty, I’ll just take my extra credit and teacher’s pet points and see you next week.
You are surely hitting up for extra credit. Did you not study for the weekly spelling test and need to pad?🥇
Study? Spelling? I never knead spilling studie.
Oh, how I hate No, David. What an awful, irredeemable book.
Hm. it might even be worse than Love You Forever…
Missed your chance…
No worries. I still whupped ya.
Recognized. I shall rebound.