The beloved bear Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain in 2022, and now he is being used to teach children what to do in the event of a school shooting.
The Dallas-based Advocate magazine reported in May some children in the Texas city’s independent school district were sent home with a book titled “Stay Safe: Run Hide Fight.”
In one image, the book depicts Winnie-the-Pooh’s friends with boxing gloves and these words:
If danger finds us, don’t stay, run away.
If we can’t get away, we have to FIGHT with all our might.
Like Kanga and Roo do, it is better to fight together.
The next page showed a police officer comforting Pooh and told readers:
When the danger is gone, we should not fuss.
Instead, wait for a teacher or the police to come find us.
One parent, Cindy Campos, told the outlet her son wanted her to read the book as his bedtime story.
She said, “There’s nothing inappropriate about the book itself, but the intent behind it …”
At first, Campos did not really think anything of the book, until she found a second copy in her other child’s backpack.
“Oh, OK, it’s like that,” she told the outlet.
Super fun book for your kindergartner to bring home:
Winnie the Pooh’s guide to school shooters! pic.twitter.com/ujgdzQUIHT
— Will Maddox (@WillCMaddox) June 1, 2023
Campos recalled having anxiety after she realized her son believed the booklet was about hiding from a big brother in a game of “IT.”
The outlet did not indicate whether she was referring to the Stephen King novel and R-rated horror film of the same name or a game of tag (“You’re it”).
Campos said she went to a Facebook group to ask other parents about “Stay Safe” and found out they experienced similar situations.
The publisher of the booklet, Praetorian Consulting, said it was designed to “assist parents and schools in fostering a culture of safety and preparedness.”
The Dallas school district later apologized for sending it home with children, according to the Advocate.
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“Recently a booklet was sent home so parents could discuss with their children how to stay safe in such cases,” the district said.
“Unfortunately, we did not provide parents any guide or context,” it said. “We apologize for the confusion and are thankful to parents who reached out to assist us in being better partners.”
Praetorian Consulting said the book was developed with Texas police officers and teachers.
“We make these books available to interested schools in all states,” the publisher added.
