Interest
Hello Kitty Dictionary Gets Axed Over Murderous Description
posted on by Bamboo Dong
Reading can be a little scary at first, especially when there are a lot of big words and difficult phrases. But thanks to publisher Harper Collins and Hello Kitty, reading can be much more fun and adorable. That is, unless you want to know what a "necklace" is.
Harper Collins recently yanked all their editions of Hello Kitty Dictionary (the product page now directs to a "Page Not Found" message), which claims to be full of "Cupcakes and rainbows, bumblebees and, of course, Hello Kitty and her friends," after complaints from a mother.
While the dictionary claims to have "carefully developed definitions, aimed at providing all the information and help students need," one entry seems to have slipped by the editors:
necklace noun (1) a piece of jewellery which a woman wears around her neck (2) In South Africa, a name for a tyre filled with petrol which is placed round a person's neck and set on fire in order to kill that person
Although the definition is technically accurate, some parents might feel it's a little out of place amongst the tea cups and daisies and other kid-friendly items.
And this Amazon review written by a UK mom has other complaints, saying that the dictionary is perhaps a little too thorough:
I thought this was quite a good dictionary ... until my 6 year old asked me what "rape" meant - I don't really think is is a suitable word to be in a childs dictionary.
Here's the definition from the book:
Meanwhile, this image from an Amazon listing helpfully offers a secondary definition of gas: "To gas people or animals means to kill them with poisonous gas"
Although anyone could argue that a dictionary shouldn't take the place of proper parenting and the value of having open discussions with younger readers (Harper Collins recommends the book for "students and Hello Kitty fans aged 11+"), some parents might feel differently about a book designed to have that "extra-jazzy sparkle to it that only the lovely Hello Kitty can bring."
While the story was originally reported in the Mirror, the contents of the dictionary were independently verified by Anime News Network.
