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Abrams pulls ‘intentionally offensive’ book after social media response

In the UK and US, publisher Abrams is discontinuing publication of Bad Little Children’s Books after criticism on social media over the book’s ‘unabashedly un-PC, rude, tasteless, inappropriate—or all the above’ humour, reports the Bookseller. Criticism of the book, which subverts traditional children’s books artwork by adding captions and editing the illustrations, began when Book Riot blogger Kelly Jensen deemed the book ‘racist’, calling particular attention to several illustrations: one which suggests small pox is rampant in the Navajo community, one that captions a picture of rockets with ‘missiles of the Islamic State’, and another which depicts a girl in a burka gifting a ‘ticking’ present. Abrams defended the book in the ensuing social media outcry, stating it had received ‘glowing reviews’ upon its September release by those who ‘understood its subversive, satirical intention’. Abrams said it had taken ‘great pains’ to indicate the book was ‘intentionally, openly, and provocatively offensive’. The anonymous author said he intended to ‘expose bigotry rather than perpetuate it’, but requested Abrams stop publishing the book because it was being ‘misread’.

 

Category: International news