Banned Book: Pinkerton, Behave! by Steven Kellogg

Pinkerton the dog is very disobedient. He will not stay or fetch or come. He tears up newspapers and flunks out of obedience class. In fact, he is a bad influence on the other dogs as well.

When he is told to fetch, he rips up the paper. When he is told to come, he jumps out a window, breaking it. When he is told to get the burgler, he licks the burgler dummy's face. It's pretty cute.

When a burgler actually comes to the family's home, the mom tells Pinkerton to fetch, so he rips up the burglers clothes and lays on him. Then the mom tells Pinkerton to come, and Pinkerton drags the burgler out the window. Pinkerton saved the day!

What's wrong with the book? A mother apparently objected to the illustration in which the burgler has a gun and it is pointed in the general vicinity of the mom. I guess that's too traumatic for the kiddies, but I did not even notice it. I had to google the book to find out what was so offensive.

Maybe the mothers who were bothered looked at the illustration and pictured themselves being held at gunpoint, but most kids will not read the book and freak out over that scene...mine didn't.