Outside the lines Outside the lines

Dutch store pulls coloring book with Hitler picture

Drawing complete with swastika somehow made its way into the children's book 'despite various tests,' retailer says

By AFP 6 April 2017, 1:05 pm
A photo shows a coloring book with an image of Adolf Hitler bought at the Dutch store Kruidvat by Ray Vervloed in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, on April 5, 2017. (Alexander Schippers/AFP)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch retailer on Wednesday said it had withdrawn from its stores a children’s coloring book that featured Adolf Hitler, complete with Nazi salute and a swastika on his arm.

“Nice, your coloring book!” commented one customer on the Facebook page of the Kruidvat chain, posting a photo of the page that showed the Nazi dictator ready to be colored-in.

Kruidvat, which sells household goods, said on Facebook that it “deeply regretted this incident” and described the image, appearing in two different coloring books themed around football and castle towers, as “inappropriate.”

“The coloring books went on sale on Monday April 3 and were immediately withdrawn from sale,” the retailer said, adding that it was investigating how the image ended up featuring in the books.

Ray Vervloed (R) and his daughter Kira pose with a colouring book with an image of Adolf Hitler bought at the Dutch store Kruidvat in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, on April 5, 2017. (Alexander Schippers/AFP)

“Despite various tests during the assembling of the content, the image concerned unfortunately found its way into the coloring book.”

The chain said customers who bought the book would be offered a refund.

read more: