Slovenly Peter has his roots in mid-Nineteenth century Germany.
From Wikipedia: "Der Struwwelpeter ("shock-headed Peter" or "Shaggy Peter") ia an 1845 children's book by Heinrich Hoffman. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disastrous consequences of misbehavior in an exaggerated way. The title of the first story provides the title of the whole book...Hoffman wrote Struwwelpeter in reaction to a lack of good books for children. Intending to buy a children's book as a Christmas present for his three-year-old son, Hoffman instead wrote and illustrated his own book."
All things considered, I'm glad I did not have Hoffman as a father. The expanded 1910 version was clearly written by Edward Gorey, Shel Silverstein,and Roald Dahl by way of Stephen King -- when these kids misbehave, the consequences are heavy. Awful things happen to such kids as Cruel Frederick, Little Suck-a-Thumb, Augustus Who Would Not Have Any Soup. Fidgety Philip, Johnny Look-in-the-Air, Flying Robert, Little Jacob, Frank the Liar, Tom the Thief, Lazy Charlotte, Romping Polly, The Cry-Baby, Sophy Spoilall, and other unfortunates.
Many thanks to Comic Book Plus for making this one available.
I have a very battered copy that once belonged to my mother's older brother. My sister and I loved this bizarre book as kids.
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