Wonderland

For the past couple of weeks we have introduced story time after bath time for Eve. I say we, I mean me because it was becoming patently obvious that she was finding it harder to settle after her bath time and milk and I thought adding a bit of interaction might work. It did.

Anyway, we have been given quite a large number of books from people for Eve. Some have taken us back to when we were young (my parents bought her "When we were very young" which was my first poetry book as a child and I can still recite many of them), or are our own books (we have lots that the Boy had when he was younger). Some were bought new, one of which was Alice in Wonderland.

I have never read any of the Alice books. Even by the time I got to primary school I had my fill of people asking if I was named after the books (NO, my parents have more sense than that) so had something of a hatred for them. I have a vague memory of my Mum reading it with me before school once she went back to work as part of mother/daughter bonding. I don't think we read much of it as I can't remember anything except the croquet and cheshire cat - and only because everyone knows about them.

However, willing to be persuaded that I have missed some sort of literary masterpiece, for Eve's first book I selected it to read. If nothing else it would be new to me.

I am about one quarter in and everything I had originally thought about the book is true. Not only is it utter gibberish, but it is really quite scary in parts - and not in the good way of Brothers Grim tales. I find myself skipping huge sections because it is just nonsense, and boring nonsense at that.

For the last couple of nights Eve has shown similar disgust for the book. Trying to hit it out of my hands and crying. Failing that she tries to eat it in an attempt to find one redeeming feature.

It is only a matter of time before I move onto Winnie the Pooh.