The Very Silly Mayor by Tom Tomorrow

From the Publisher

“I have always admired Tom Tomorrow for his keen intelligence and penguin-based wit, but now he has unnerved me with a story of socio-political chaos that is at once completely ridiculous and sadly familiar.”—Lemony Snicket

“This is a funny book with an important message: we need penguins in government.”—Dave Barry

The mayor of the “medium-sized city” has some very strange ideas. Among them that firemen should put out fires using peanut butter instead of water and that policeman should chase robbers while wearing clown costumes. Needless to say, these decisions don’t work out too well. When Sparky the Penguin wonders why nobody thought to question these silly ideas, he finds out that people were afraid of being laughed at if they disagreed with the mayor.

The first-ever children’s book from legendary cartoonist Tom Tomorrow, The Very Silly Mayor uses Tom’s unique combination of humor and social commentary to teach children to trust their own judgment, even if other people might disagree with their views or make fun of them.

One of the most influential comic artists of the past twenty years, Tom Tomorrow's weekly strip, This Modern World, appears regularly in many papers across the United States, as well as on Salon.com. He is the author of numerous cartoon collections, including The Great Big Book of Tomorrow, The Future’s So Bright I Can’t Bear to Look, and Penguin Soup for the Soul.

Publishers Weekly

Tom Tomorrow (a penname for cartoonist Dan Perkins), whose This Modern World comic strip skewers government follies, brings his gee-whiz irony and clip art–style panels to this parable of sorts, his picture book debut. The wild-eyed title character presides over “a medium-sized city.” Smiling a leprechaun’s overeager grin, he instructs police officers to dress as clowns, firefighters to substitute peanut butter for water and citizens to paint their homes green and purple. Sparky the penguin and Blinky the terrier, two sensible smart-alecks from Tomorrow’s strip, expect public outrage. Instead, clean-cut, dimwitted TV talking heads praise their leader: “Peanut butter sounds like a delicious way to fight fires!” When Sparky asks his neighbors why they would conform to ridiculous, even dangerous policies, they admit, “I didn’t want anyone to laugh at me.” They suggest that Sparky replace the mayor, but the pro-election, anti-coup penguin chooses instead to be the mayor’s adviser. While children can appreciate the absurdities, adults are most likely to chuckle at the satire. Followers of Gan Golan and Erich Origen’s parody Goodnight Bush will snap this up. Ages 4–7. (Oct.)

Kirkus Reviews

Sparky the penguin lives in a medium-sized city with his best friend, the very nice dog, Blinky. Problem is, this medium-sized city has a very silly mayor. He decides the police need to wear clown suits to fight crime. He thinks firefighters should put out fires with delicious peanut butter, and he thinks everyone should paint green-and-purple stripes on their houses. Sparky's sure everyone will be incensed, but the media laud the ideas. When robbers get away with money and houses catch fire, Sparky confronts the mayor. Everyone admits they never thought the mayor's ideas were good; they just didn't want to get laughed at. Importing the retro look and cast of his adult syndicated comic This Modern World, Tomorrow, aka Dan Perkins, an award-winning liberal political cartoonist, aims this lesson in the dangers of groupthink and necessity of questioning authority at an audience too young for it. Older preschoolers and early-elementary children might enjoy the silliness and the bright, flat cartoon art, but they sure won't understand it. This didactic effort will work best with adult fans of Tomorrow's work. (Picture book. 20 & up)

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