A Child's First Book of Trump

Michael Ian Black

Jul 2016 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Michael Ian Black

About this audiobook

A New York Times bestseller!

What do you do when you spot a wild Trump in the election season? New York Times bestselling author and comedian Michael Ian Black has some sage advice for children (and all the rest of us who are scratching our heads in disbelief) in this perfectly timely parody picture book intended for adults that would be hysterical if it wasn’t so true.

The beasty is called an American Trump.
Its skin is bright orange, its figure is plump.
Its fur so complex you might get enveloped.
Its hands though are, sadly, underdeveloped.

The Trump is a curious creature, very often spotted in the wild, but confounding to our youngest citizens. A business mogul, reality TV host, and now…political candidate? Kids (and let’s be honest many adults) might have difficulty discerning just what this thing that’s been dominating news coverage this election cycle is. Could he actually be real? Are those…words coming out of his mouth? Why are his hands so tiny? And perhaps most importantly, what on earth do you do when you encounter an American Trump?

With his signature wit and a classic picture book style, comedian Michael Ian Black introduces those unfamiliar with the Americus Trumpus to his distinguishing features and his mystifying campaign for world domination…sorry…President of the United States.

Ratings and reviews

As an American (Californian) parent of a home-schooled child, I was starting to create my book list for this upcoming school semester (6th grade) when I came across this book. I did not search for politics, Trump, presidency, Cheetos, etc. My search was: Great American Classic Books and Reading for Sixth Grade Students. When I saw this book, I assumed it was scholarly due to the other books in the suggested list. I then did research on this book, I spent about 90 minutes reviewing the content and others' opinions. My take is this: The book is for adults, not children. Marketing this as a cartoon-type illustration with "child" in the title is misleading and could be very dangerous as children take everything literally until the age of six. I'm sure the author knows this if their in the business of writing children's books. The blatant disrespect is appalling. I have an idea, how about we teach our children to critically think and how to differentiate between fact and fiction. Oh, and bullying... and racism. If you read this book to your child, you should have your children taken away. This is purposeful brainwashing and mental abuse.

Here's the thing about Trump- I don't like him.That being said, simply because someone writes a book with a similar opinion to mine, doesn't mean that it's a good book. For starters: This book is clearly not intended for children. It's a satire. I find it bewildering how so few people could even be bothered to entertain such a concept. I also have my doubts that many of the people in the comments read it. That being said, you probably shouldn't read it, if you're thinking about it. It's short, but it's a waste of time. It's not original- in any way. It's just rehashing the same concepts that we've already heard all about. Frankly, I'm growing tired of it. The humor, in my opinion, is distasteful and immature. It's simple mockery which does nothing to progress our understanding on the current political climate. It makes no attempt at conjuring some larger statement other than "Trump is bad". As citizens, it's our duty to not only adequately express our opinions, but to remain open and to attempt to understand the views of the other side- regardless of how much you may disagree and find their actions repulsive. Books and similar political satires of this vein should make us not only laugh, but reflect. We should say, "Are our actions representing what we claim to believe?". This piece does nothing more than throw fuel on the fire, and the majority of other comments I'm seeing are perfect showcases of that. We're adults. We can do better than this. We have the capability to express more than "This is bad. Agree with me.". All that being said, I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention that the rhyming scheme and flow is incredibly smooth. The author is clearly a talented individual, I just wish they spent their time on a more thought-provoking piece- seeing as they want to delve into politics.

It’s sad what we’ve come to. People will use any ploy to take a jab at each other. I love humor, and I can get a chuckle from this, if it wasn’t so ill intended and transparent. Oh well. Just another piece of denigration and hate promoting trash in the bad writing heap. Keep up the good work. It has the opposite desired effect. Many have expressed their dislike for using such low tactics. Now that’s funny indeed.

About the author

Michael Ian Black is a writer, comedian, and actor who currently appears on Another Period, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. He created and starred in many television series, including Michael and Michael Have Issues, Stella, and The State. He wrote the screenplay for the film Run, Fatboy, Run and wrote and directed the film Wedding Daze. Michael regularly tours the country as a stand-up comedian and is the bestselling author of the book My Custom Van (and 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face), the memoir You’re Not Doing It Right, and the children’s books Chicken Cheeks, The Purple Kangaroo, A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea, I’m Bored, Naked!, and Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop. Michael lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.