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Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
Getting a haircut? Eating spaghetti? Having a birthday party? You may think these all sound like very ordinary things to do. But read on and see just how grizzly they can really be.
- GenresChildrensMiddle Grade
Audio Cassette
First published May 17, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 14, 2021
I loved this when I was about 8, my dad obviously thought it would be an appropriate book for me! I remember the story about the kids getting turned into pasta the best. I think I shall have to find it and give it a reread!
edit: I looked up the illustrations because I remember them being hilarious/amazing/scary and found this one of the poor snake nursemaid whose charges tied her up in knots! The illustrator is Bobbie Spargo , and seeing them again on her site, the pasta man especially gives me shivers I've not shivered in decades!
edit: I looked up the illustrations because I remember them being hilarious/amazing/scary and found this one of the poor snake nursemaid whose charges tied her up in knots! The illustrator is Bobbie Spargo , and seeing them again on her site, the pasta man especially gives me shivers I've not shivered in decades!
March 8, 2024
Unearthed an old gem from my childhood. Some of the stories in this collection still haunt me as a 35 year old woman. Especially the little brat who gets turned into a paper machê window dummy and Herbert who watches too much TV and turns into a cheese and onion crisp. The story which gets me most, is the little girl who gets her childhood snatched away from her by the Childhood Snatcher - one minute shes a toddler then next shes a withered old lady. 5/5
April 30, 2013
Books from My Youth: Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids
Goosebumps was not the only kids horror series I encountered during my youth. There was a series that actually gave me nightmares. Oh my Great Britain really do not like their children.
Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids was written by Jamie Rix and was originally published in 1990. In 1999 the books were made into a TV series for British Television channel ITV and in 2010 the series was re invented and picked up by Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoons UK.
While I only remembered a few stories from Goosebumps, I remember every single story from GTFGK, they will forever been burned into my mind. Remember above when I said ‘ Oh my Great Britain really do not like their children’? GTFGK is proof of that. Its theme is that of cautionary or morality tales executed, in some ways,as horror stories. The books, and tv series, mainly focuses on naughty or horrible children who display traits such as lying, stealing, cheating, vanity, untidiness, and not listening to their parents. Unlike Goosebumps, the parents in these stories do not have ‘Dumb Parent Syndrome’ and are active in their children’s lives, often warning them of the dangers they will face if they do not change their ways or listen to them.
I began reading GTFGK when I was 12 and while they were scary, I don’t remember having any nightmares with the books. However this changed the first time I heard Nigel Planer speak. Nigel Planer, for those who don’t know, is an English actor who voices the character of Uncle Grizzly in the Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids TV show and he is the reason I had so many nightmares as a child. His voice added to the already Gruesome stories of Rix means that if R.L.Stine was the Kids Spook King, Nigel Planer and Jamie Rix are Give Kids Nightmares Gods. Planer’s voice feels as if you are being transported into a world and it is a world that you really do not want to be a part of. When he speaks you listen and when you listen you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck beginning to stand on end. When you hear the grizzly and gruesome consequences for these kids, a chill runs down your spine like never before and when he laughs, you are frozen with the fear. That is way I love Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and that is why I had so many nightmares. The stories alone were painfully scary but with the voice of Planer they are completely horrifying. The nightmares I had that were related to Grizzly Tales always had the Planer voice over in them.
Don’t believe me? Well listen to the Tale Of The Pie Men:
Goosebumps was not the only kids horror series I encountered during my youth. There was a series that actually gave me nightmares. Oh my Great Britain really do not like their children.
Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids was written by Jamie Rix and was originally published in 1990. In 1999 the books were made into a TV series for British Television channel ITV and in 2010 the series was re invented and picked up by Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoons UK.
While I only remembered a few stories from Goosebumps, I remember every single story from GTFGK, they will forever been burned into my mind. Remember above when I said ‘ Oh my Great Britain really do not like their children’? GTFGK is proof of that. Its theme is that of cautionary or morality tales executed, in some ways,as horror stories. The books, and tv series, mainly focuses on naughty or horrible children who display traits such as lying, stealing, cheating, vanity, untidiness, and not listening to their parents. Unlike Goosebumps, the parents in these stories do not have ‘Dumb Parent Syndrome’ and are active in their children’s lives, often warning them of the dangers they will face if they do not change their ways or listen to them.
I began reading GTFGK when I was 12 and while they were scary, I don’t remember having any nightmares with the books. However this changed the first time I heard Nigel Planer speak. Nigel Planer, for those who don’t know, is an English actor who voices the character of Uncle Grizzly in the Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids TV show and he is the reason I had so many nightmares as a child. His voice added to the already Gruesome stories of Rix means that if R.L.Stine was the Kids Spook King, Nigel Planer and Jamie Rix are Give Kids Nightmares Gods. Planer’s voice feels as if you are being transported into a world and it is a world that you really do not want to be a part of. When he speaks you listen and when you listen you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck beginning to stand on end. When you hear the grizzly and gruesome consequences for these kids, a chill runs down your spine like never before and when he laughs, you are frozen with the fear. That is way I love Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and that is why I had so many nightmares. The stories alone were painfully scary but with the voice of Planer they are completely horrifying. The nightmares I had that were related to Grizzly Tales always had the Planer voice over in them.
Don’t believe me? Well listen to the Tale Of The Pie Men:
February 3, 2016
Oh Jamie Rix, you wonderfully twisted man you. In the tradition of gory fairy tales to teach morality this series features some truly creepy, violent and downright terrifying tales of horrible kids getting their comeuppance. Actually some of Jamie's tales were loosely based on European folklore. For instance the story of the thumbsucking boy who gets cooked alive comes from an old Germanic tale with the same premise.
The stories usually start with a horrible child or even just a stupid one. One story had a kid who was a daydreamer. They are frequently warned by their parents and occasionally even other adults that if they don't mend their ways something terrible will befall them. The kid/s don't listen and through a series of events are taught a lesson by an otherworldly creature or even just an adult and sometimes just some black magic. The lessons are often witty and although there is occasionally a happy ending the consequences are often permanent. Despite my terror I adored this series in my youth.
The series was so popular they spawned two kids shows. The first series which I grew up watching involved a man going to a haunted and run down movie theater entirely run by Uncle Grizzly (voiced by Nigel Planner of The Young Ones fame.)
Many fans have speculated that the people punishing the kids is actually Uncle Grizzly in disguise due to his aparent magical and shapeshifting abilities.
The show had Jamie's input and he apparently even directed a few episodes. They are mostly faithful to the books although some of the violence was either toned down or left up to the viewers imagination.
The stories usually start with a horrible child or even just a stupid one. One story had a kid who was a daydreamer. They are frequently warned by their parents and occasionally even other adults that if they don't mend their ways something terrible will befall them. The kid/s don't listen and through a series of events are taught a lesson by an otherworldly creature or even just an adult and sometimes just some black magic. The lessons are often witty and although there is occasionally a happy ending the consequences are often permanent. Despite my terror I adored this series in my youth.
The series was so popular they spawned two kids shows. The first series which I grew up watching involved a man going to a haunted and run down movie theater entirely run by Uncle Grizzly (voiced by Nigel Planner of The Young Ones fame.)
Many fans have speculated that the people punishing the kids is actually Uncle Grizzly in disguise due to his aparent magical and shapeshifting abilities.
The show had Jamie's input and he apparently even directed a few episodes. They are mostly faithful to the books although some of the violence was either toned down or left up to the viewers imagination.
April 18, 2013
I first listened to these stories as an audiobook when I was about eight years old. Fourteen years later, the book is still as hilarious, dry, and as genuinely creepy as I found it as a child.
Following the same vein of humour as Horrible Histories and Roald Dahl, these stories are what young readers need! Nothing can prepare a child for later life than an understanding of good wit, and this is what Jamie Rix has successfully achieved. Bravo, sir!
Following the same vein of humour as Horrible Histories and Roald Dahl, these stories are what young readers need! Nothing can prepare a child for later life than an understanding of good wit, and this is what Jamie Rix has successfully achieved. Bravo, sir!
August 6, 2020
Oh my gosh I just loved these grizzly tales - absolutely brilliant!
February 27, 2021
Went to read this for something easy to read and I loved the show as a child.
Sadly I have outgrown it.
Sadly I have outgrown it.
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July 7, 2016I feel like this series is what started my interest in horror as a child. I read the books and watched the series when I was about 8 onwards and I remember pretty much every single story. From this book it was 'Sweets' and 'Puppet on a String' that scared me the most and gave me nightmares! They played on (and possibly ignited) two of my greatest fears.
March 11, 2012
This was one of my favourite books when I was a kid! Super creepy and fun.
January 25, 2015
Love the books. I watched the show and then I found the books and I love them still
January 25, 2025
These stories are just as dark and morbid as the episode adaptations, if not darker, some of the endings are even different than how they were in the show.
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March 13, 20193369
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews