Beyoncé Knowles and her mother Tina launched the House of Deréon clothing line in 2004 and tagged it "where the sidewalk and catwalk meet". The clothes they market display a mix of influences, from hip hop to the very stylish and feminine air of more traditional designer clothing. The brand was quickly expanded by Beyoncé's younger sister Solange and by the singer's fiancé / rumored husband, hip hop star and business mogul Jay-Z, who launched the junior line Deréon, aimed at teens and even young children. And it's here that the controversy emerged, with a glossy magazine ad for the Deréon Girls Collection that led to a lot of raised eyebrows.

The ad depicts a series of young girls aged around 7 or 8 seemingly playing dress up, using what looks like their mother / older sister's 5 inch high heels, wearing lipstick and posing in a slightly disturbing, overtly mature way. We could, of course, argue that the ads are simply about a bunch of trendy kids who can't wait to wear mommy's heavily embroidered sparkly outfits and have found the House of Deréon clothing line to be the answer to all their prayers. Mostly, however, these ads have been perceived as more than a little inappropriate, particularly the little girls' attitudes and mature posing in front of the camera.

Blogs are popping up everywhere with nothing good to say about this little endeavor from the superstar.

"High heels, on a 4 year old?!"

"All I can say is like Hell!"

"Someone is going to buy this trash for their child, that is the saddest part."

For years Beyoncé  has got away with showing up at different Music Award shows flaunting "the twins" in a "J-Lo" dress and no one has made a fuss. But now she has messed with their kids. Has she pushed the envelope too far this time?