July 4, 2016
Striking a semi-Seussian tone, Black (Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop!) explores the "strange beast" that seems to be everywhere these daysâfrom its propensity for saying "I'm the best!" to its poop that "spells out âTrump' in ten-foot-high letters!" Black checks off all the key Trump jokes with some pretty clever rhymes ("Its fur so complex, you might get enveloped./ Its hands are, sadly, underdeveloped"), and Rosenthal (1 Robot Lost His Head) portrays the "American Trump" as an orange, bean-shaped biomorph with unmistakable pursed lips and an intensely horizontal coif. But the truth is that Black has picked the easiest of targets; he assumes a sympathetic readership, but lets them off scot-free by positioning them as victims. What's more, he gives the worst advice possible when it comes to dealing with a bully: ignore him ("You can cover your ears or run up a tree,/ But the best thing to do is... turn off your TV") or run awayâthe final image shows crowds streaming toward the Canadian border. Author's agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.