Not appropriate for children

 

I read a children's book recently that was written by a renowned Brazilian author. I was surprised that the book described a dog being killed by other dogs. It felt graphic and sad and I asked my teacher about the violence and wondered what it meant about violence in the culture. Then I reread "Call of the Wild." A book that captivated my imagination when it was assigned reading in my forth grade. A grand tale that inspired my interest in wild places and nurtured my own wildness. Well surprise, surprise, that book I loved as a child was filled with dogs being viciously killed and violently abused. It is telling that I was so quick to connect a dead dog in a Brazilian book to violence in the culture but forgot all about the dead dogs (and people) in a beloved book from my country. It's one more reminder not to judge, just to learn with humility and to grow.