Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« Going Backwards | Child vs Bean: Whoever Wins, We Los… »

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Books Reading Is Fun-da-Poisonous

Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 1:59 PM

Oh, Jesus:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Could a vintage, dog-eared copy of "The Cat in the Hat" or "Where the Wild Things Are" be hazardous to your children?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has raised that possibility in urging the nation's libraries to take children's books printed before 1986 off their shelves while the federal agency investigates whether the ink contains unsafe levels of lead.

Few, if any, libraries are complying, and many librarians are ridiculing the recommendation as alarmist.

(Many thanks to Slog Tipper Marc.)

UPDATE: Gold star comment is by Lenny, who says "I think it's sad. Personally, the best part about anything by Maurice Sendak was licking the artwork."

Comments (10) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

"Unsafe levels of lead" in anything created before 1986, huh?

Does lead provide subtle but necessary context? If so, this would be censorship, wouldn't it?

I think it's sad. Personally, the best part about anything by Maurice Sendak was licking the artwork.

Posted by Lenny on March 17, 2009 at 2:06 PM

Unsafe levels of...

LeaD, IT'S LIKE JONNY GET YOUR FUN... NOT QUITE THE SUM... YET,

capstand downs... and poof!

an extra magician.

here's a joke george c.

why does the same metascape keep remainder?

x times set equals match point blanc.

Posted by danicaligetoursomeofthewestpoint graduarellissominet on March 17, 2009 at 2:13 PM

At least now we know why you kids are so fucked-up.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on March 17, 2009 at 2:16 PM

I used to use twigs gathered from our tree farm to turn the pages, just to be safe.

Which I then tossed over the road into Fnarf's front yard.

Posted by Will in Seattle on March 17, 2009 at 2:23 PM

@3 - The unsafe lead is in books published before 1986. Are you arguing that safe levels of lead make a child fucked up?

I think you meant "At least now we know why you adults are so fucked-up."

Posted by @ on March 17, 2009 at 2:28 PM

What the hell is going on in Missouri?!

Check out this hilarious story that tries to bash Animal Crossing !

http://www.kmiz.com/news/story.php?id=13…

"'There is no reason an adult should have this game,' says Andy Anderson, Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force. Anderson says adults playing 'animal crossing' and similar games are likely doing it for the wrong reasons. "

Posted by stinkbug on March 17, 2009 at 2:28 PM

@6, ha ha ha, awesome. Really, there's no reason an adult should have any videogame, though.

Reminds me of the Vancouver PD's assertion a year or so ago that all Trekkies are pedophiles.

Posted by hee on March 17, 2009 at 2:46 PM

This is part of a fucked up law passed last summer that puts absurd limits on lead (discussed in the link). Kid's motorcycles and ATVs were also banned as part of this. The law will be repealed.

Posted by Big Sven on March 17, 2009 at 2:57 PM

How many pages would a kid have to eat to get a harmful dose?

Posted by Colin on March 17, 2009 at 2:58 PM

There's a HUGE to-do about the CPSIA on grass-roots handmade websites like Etsy.com and a petition on the Handmade Toy Alliance's website. Interestingly, there has been very little news coverage.

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

Posted by Miss Foxtrot on March 18, 2009 at 5:23 PM