A children’s book released this month is seeking to teach young children that President Donald Trump’s “wall” is an example of “how people in power make mistakes” by blocking a “thriving society” of people of diverse backgrounds.
The Wall: A Timeless Tale, written by Italian authors Giancarlo Macri and Carolina Zanotti, instructs children on “what happens when a wall separates a once thriving kingdom,” states a press release from Fox Chapel Publishing.
The publisher continues:
When a king realizes that people in his kingdom look different than him, he banishes everyone to the other side of a wall. However, he soon realizes that his kingdom isn’t what it used to be. His kingdom was once flourishing with singers and sculptors, dancers and astronomers, and everyone in between. Now, there is no one.
Left-wing Romper described the book as “genius” in that it “explains Trump’s wall to kids in a way they’ll actually understand.”
“Turning the saga of Trump’s wall into a teachable moment for kids is a pretty lofty goal for a pop-up book, but this one manages to do it,” Romper adds.
Fox Chapel Publishing admits that, in this book, the authors are engaging in “sharp political commentary” and attempting to draw in children to their political views by using “bright and modern illustrations.”
“[T]his dynamic team has helped make this challenging concept a little easier for young ones to comprehend,” the publisher touts.
The book features a pop-up “wall” that springs from its spine as it tells the tale of a somewhat reclusive king who one day discovers his kingdom is full of different kinds of people, many of whom do not look like him. He decides to build a structure to keep out all those who are different from him.
After the wall is built, the kingdom becomes less colorful and interesting. When the king demands that a garden, a fountain, and sculptures be built along his wall, however, he is informed that the gardeners, engineers, and artists have left the kingdom. Ultimately, the king asks to have all these people returned to the kingdom and calls for the wall to be destroyed.
Quartz says the book “paints the king as foolish but teachable rather than vicious and hateful.”
“Appreciating people who may be different from ourselves is a critical skill for both adults and children, but if we are honest with ourselves, it can also be very difficult to teach, especially in a fun, memorable way,” said Alan Giagnocavo, president of Fox Chapel Publishing, in a statement about the book. “What I really liked about this book is that it focuses on the positive, thriving life and society we miss out on if we get it wrong.”
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