I recently purchased a Little Golden Book; not one of the vintage titles that we are all familiar with, like “The Poky Little Puppy” or “The Little Red Hen”, but a brand new one. I am well beyond the typical age for a Little Golden Book reader, also I do not have children. But I was equal parts horrified and delighted to see that one of my favorite movies of all time had been turned into a Little Golden Book… “Jaws”.
That’s right, Tribune reader, everyone’s favorite movie featuring blood-stained water, severed limbs, and a haunting retelling of the USS Indianapolis sinking is now a charming book that illustrates opposites, as the little boat chases the big shark. I probably don’t need to tell you that the above-mentioned features have been scrubbed from the storyline. Instead of homemade moonshine and plates of beans and rice, our sailors sing songs over coffee and croissants (also, Quint lives). Spoiler alert: at the end, the shark gets tired and goes home.
I love that Little Golden Books has released bios of famous people such as Lebron James, Zendaya, and Harry Stiles. And their Taylor Swift bio sold 1 million copies in just 7 months.1 But turning bloody 70s thrillers into children’s books seems weird. Although, when they release the Little Golden Book version of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, you know I’m going to buy it.
