Terrifying French children's books - in pictures

I don't know!! I don't know where your mummy is!! Photograph: Public Domain

"The Weight of Disappointment". My seven-year-old (whose weekly agonising over which Lucky Luke to choose is why I'm hanging around the library in the first place) came over when I was taking a picture of this and said "why are you taking pictures of something so sad?". I didn't say, "because suffering is part of your lot in life, my innocent child". But if I'd been French, I might have done Photograph: Public Domain

"My First Nightmare". Need something new to be terrified of? Why not try cotton wool?
Photograph: Public Domain

How to ensure your child never sleeps with the light out again. "Dark Bedrooms", ages 7-9 Photograph: Public Domain

"Emergency clown", ages 5-7. So. Clowns are scary. Surgery is scary. HEY! I've just had a GREAT idea for a children's book!! Photograph: Public Domain

This is "The ABC of Anger". It was in the section for older pre-readers, ie 5-7. That's a koala bear, nattily dressed, caressing a little girl. His face is, I feel, chillingly disassociated from the penitent child. Justice will be served. Think about this cool koala sociopath next time you are tempted to be rude to a French waiter Photograph: Public Domain

I don't know about you, but I've spent my entire parenting life trying to get my kids NOT to do this. "The Love That Takes Us" (or "Transports Us", I'm not sure what's closest) is the rather apologist title for the scary man in the park Photograph: Public Domain

It's a huge lady who sucks children out of their upper storey windows with her umbrella then spirits them away under her skirts. Sweet dreams, darling! Photograph: Public Domain

"The Rabbits' Revenge." We aren't going to like it Photograph: Public Domain

Death visits a little girl. He kills her Photograph: Public Domain

Well, I'm sure you must think, this must be a kind of arty book for adults that's been misfiled. It is not. Every page has one line of simple prose on it, and it was filed in ages 7-9. About the day papa killed his old aunt. A true story Photograph: Public Domain

"The Thief of Lily". YOIKS. She gets away by whacking him with a mop and her entire family think it is HILARIOUS Photograph: Public Domain

This is to get you to brush your teeth. Oh LOOK how the little girl regrets her gigantic ice cream now it is too late, and the demons with the drills have arrived. I slightly approve Photograph: Public Domain

"The Silent Child". Brrr. She stops being silent by cutting the grisly thread that stiches her dolly's mouth together. The last page, by the way, doesn't show that anything has changed; she's still sad and alone. The dolly has her mouth open, though. I haven't the faintest what the moral is supposed to be Photograph: Public Domain