海角大神

Children鈥檚 books seem to be the center of controversy lately. First there was the 9/11 coloring book that depicted scenes from 9/11 and the killing of Osama bin Laden. Then there was 鈥�Maggie Goes on a Diet,鈥� which encouraged young girls to diet.

This latest divisive children鈥檚 book has the Tea Party, Bill Ayers, and even President Obama ensnared in its controversial crosshairs.

鈥淎 Rule is to Break: A Child鈥檚 Guide to Anarchy,鈥� by husband-and-wife team John Seven and Jana Christy, has some readers up in arms, with one Tea Party publication calling its publication 鈥渄ownright shocking.鈥�

Published by Manic D, a small San Francisco press specializing in anarchist and fringe publications including 鈥淭he Civil Disobedience Handbook,鈥� and 鈥淭he International Homosexual Conspiracy,鈥� this 44-page picture book for children ages 4 and up is the press鈥檚 first foray into children鈥檚 book publishing, according to .

Its colorfully-illustrated pages contain such advice as 鈥淒on鈥檛 look like everybody else! Be you,鈥� 鈥淭hink for Yourself!鈥� 鈥淣o Baths Ever Again!鈥� and 鈥淕ive Away Stuff for Free,鈥� along with the more eyebrow-raising 鈥淲hen Someone Says, 鈥榃ork!鈥� You Say Why?鈥� and 鈥淒o What You Want!...Or do nothing, if you prefer.鈥�

And while some see it as 鈥済ently humorous,鈥� like the UK鈥檚 , and showing 鈥渢he softer side of anarchy, with an emphasis on fun and independence, but also community and kindness,鈥� like , others aren鈥檛 so amused.

A report in the Tea Party publication calls the book 鈥渉orrendous鈥� and 鈥渄ownright shocking.鈥�

鈥淏ut it gets even worse,鈥� continues the write-up, 鈥渨hen we realize Bill Ayers, radical terrorist leftist and friend of Obama, not only endorsed it through his twitter account, his comments in support of the book are listed on the actual Amazon.com book page鈥� Wow... If a person can be read by the company he keeps, what does this say about Obama?鈥�

In his blurb, Ayers calls the book 鈥渁 delight to read鈥� and says that 鈥渁 children鈥檚 book on anarchy seems somehow just right: an instinctive, intuitive sense of fairness, community, and interdependence sits naturally enough with a desire for participatory democracy, feminism, queer-rights, environmental balance, self-determination, and peace and global justice.鈥� Beneath the blurb, Ayers is identified with a wink and a nod, as an 鈥渁uthor鈥� teacher, Barack Obama鈥檚 alleged terrorist pal, and grandpa.鈥澛�

Not surprisingly, publisher Manic D approached this firestorm with a sense of humor and doesn鈥檛 seem bothered by the attacks. Sales are 鈥減retty good,鈥� marketing manager Jennifer Swihart Voegele told Publishers Weekly, and the controversy will likely only drum up more interest and sales. Incidentally, Manic D also sent early Christmas presents to rightwing pundit Bill O鈥橰eilly and comedian Stephen Colbert: copies of the book with a 鈥楬appy holidays鈥� card.

Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.