Celeb kiddylit, and other linkage

[oursin]

From Madonna to Kylie, from Ricky Gervais to Paul McCartney, A-list actors, comics and singers are reinventing themselves as children's authors. And are usually absolute crap. I also wonder, about the argument that they decide as they make up bedtime stories for their sproglings, that they are yay good at this and ought to publish - to what extent

Comments

[ann1962]

Here in the US, med students are not being taught how to turn babies if necessary so fewer and fewer doctors even know how. Some older doctors will still attempt this. Plus babies can turn right up and into labour. That was certainly my case. My breech twin was doing flips right up until the last part of the labour and he eventually settled head down.

more US stuff

[wonderlandkat]

It's pretty much standard to rec a cesearian if they even think the baby is going to be breech. Some insurance companies require it.

Re: more US stuff

[ann1962]

::nods:: Yes, and now most don't allow vbacs anymore either. Fewer and fewer options.

[adrian_turtle]

US med students are taught cesarian section is the safest thing to do for a breech baby, or for an over-long labor. (Or for lots of other problems.) So if labor has been going on for more than 6 hours and the baby is in the wrong position, it's very hard for a US doctor to resist that training and not go for surgery.

[green_knight]

The children's books thing is not new. I don't even think Prince Charles was

[sartorias]

Jane Yolen once commented wryly that celeb books were just about always variations on "The Little Animal with the [handicap] who Learned Gender-neutral lesson."

[adrian_turtle]

My favorite variation on that theme, for anyone who might be interested, is _Stellaluna_. It was not written by a celebrity.

[callunav]

Hah. It may not be new, but I am insular enough not to have realized the celeb kid's book thing. I've only encountered one - Dar Williams, of whom I am a devout groupie, wrote an intermediate level thing (not picture book) called Amelie which was actually quite good. As a groupie, I'm of course not surprised at all - and also not surprised because her song-writing seems like it comes from the kind of brain that could write believable characters - I was more surprised that the plot was not weak in contrast, though it did have that first-book feel of using a lot of the author's life as fuel.

[movingfinger]

...I was also told that if I tried a natural birth in hospital, there would potentially be a lot of interested spectators and that several doctors would have to be present "for the safety of the baby". With all this attendant pressure, I was not sure I would be able to give birth at all.

Despite her performance anxiety, the pressure of events would probably have prevailed, don't you think?

[oursin]

With all those doctors and students, someone would doubtless leap forward and perform a caesarian if necessary!