Man, those books got nothing on Struwwelpeter by Heinrick Hoffmann. That's the book that gave me the heebie jeebies when I was a kid.

You have to go to German kid;s books to get the real deal. American's don't have the chops to freak out kids like those old German dudes did.

Like this story warning kids to not suck their thumbs.

The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman.
Oh! children, see! the tailor's come
And caught our little Suck-a-Thumb

Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;
And Conrad cries out - Oh! Oh! Oh!
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;-
"Ah!" said Mamma "I knew he'd come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."