Sam Seder’s Amazon review of The Very Silly Mayor:
My Kid Loves it- I love the message
My 4 year old was home sick today- completely unexpectedly The Very Silly Mayor arrived- I had forgotten I had pre-ordered. I am a fan of Tom Tomorrow’s work (full disclosure: I’ve interviewed him on the radio), but wasn’t sure how it would translate into a kid’s book. My daughter loves books but can be pretty particular- she saw the cover as I opened up the package and demanded I read it to her.
She was quiet and engaged as I read. I wasn’t sure as to whether she liked it, but I was very happy with the message. Not political in any type of ideological or partisan sense, the book has a strong message of believing in your own perspective, in not being cowed by peer pressure or common wisdom and in questioning authority. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to read a book to my child that isn’t a marketing ploy, doesn’t involve shopping or the notion that she should be looking for a prince to marry.
The true and really only relevant test came on the last page- she demanded I read it to her again. We ended up reading it four times in a row- each time she became more engaged in the characters and asked more questions. I have no idea if she is absorbing the message of this book but in the end I’m only interested in books that she likes and I can feel good about reading to her. This book scores a ten on both accords.
If you have small children, or know anyone who does, please consider picking it up. You’ll be supporting independent publishing and (increasingly) independent cartooning with a single purchase — and helping to encourage independent thought in the small person of your choice. Not bad for about the same price as a couple of fried eggs and some coffee.