I can picture it now. A young boy with fiery red hair carrying a backpack that is larger than he is, hopping off the bus for another day of school. This youngster is full of potential and he knows it. Heck, he may even dream of being president one day. But his teachers at school tell him that in order to reach for the stars and work to fulfill that presidential dream of his, he must first learn his preschool morals! Well, Mr. Donald J. Trump is much older now, and he has made much more progress in his race for the White House than that little boy on the bus may have even imagined, but did he ever learn his preschool morals? Let's put him to the test, shall we?
I have strung together a list including my favorite children's picture books that I enjoyed throughout my own time in preschool, and that millions of others spent their younger schooldays reading, as well. At that age, picture books taught us everything from how to cross a street safely to why you should eat your vegetables. Although I am not quite sure where Trump's stance on Brussels sprouts may lie, the man has acted out in many rude ways that have gained public attention and made some of us question his morals. Here is my list of reading recommendations for if Trump ever wants to revisit some golden rules of his days when his only real estate was the playground.
1. The book: "Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker" by Christianne Jones
The moral: listening to others is important!
If you have tuned into any Republican debate within the past several months, you will have noticed by now that Donald Trump seems to like the sound of his own voice. Although there is nothing wrong with that, most adults have learned by now that interrupting is not polite. If Trump wants to have a hand in politics, he needs to remember that listening to others' opinions is a big part of the job description.
2. The book: "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin
The moral: In life, you will need to work with other people who may want something different than what you want in order to come to an agreement.
In the age of divided government, it is important to understand the value of a leader that is not only good at negotiating, but also one that is willing to make compromises for the greater good. "Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type" gives a step-by-step model to follow in order to achieve this greater good. I understand that businessmen make decisions daily, ones that Trump is very accustomed to by now. Politics, on the other hand, is a different type of model that requires having the nation's best interest at heart instead of just your own.
3. The book: "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The moral: Don't take yourself too seriously. And don't be greedy. Oh, and no matter how hard you try you cannot own all the stars in the galaxy.
This iconic French children's book teaches us many significant morals. Each new planet the little prince visits makes us learn a new lesson about what is right and what is wrong. On one planet, the little prince meets a businessman (sound familiar?) trying to count all the stars in the galaxy so that he will own them all. The little prince finds this to be a ridiculous waste of time and concludes that the businessman is spending his life consumed by greed.
4. The book: "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen
The moral: You shouldn't judge someone based solely on how they look.
And you shouldn't restrict the entire Muslim community from having the ability to travel to America. Enough said.
This moral also addresses Trump's tendency to include outrageously sexist commits on his campaign trail. In an article featured in Rolling Stone last fall, Trump insulted Carly Fiorina in an interview, saying, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on." If that isn't an immoral and sexist comment that uses a woman's appearance to denounce her as a presidential candidate then I don't know what is.
5. The book: "The Way I Act" by Steve Metzger
The moral: How we act affects other people.
In preschool, this moral would be taught over and over again as an incentive to acknowledge the golden rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. This meant that acting out and hurting someone's feelings always deserved an apology. When Trump appeared on the Tonight Show in September, he gave his own opinion on apologies: "Apologizing is a great thing but you have to be wrong. I will apologize sometime in the hopefully distant future if I'm ever wrong," said Trump. What a great moral compass!
6. The book: "The Way I Feel" by Janan Cain
The moral: It is important to know how to understand your feelings and express them politely with your words.
It seems to me that Donald Trump needs a lot of work on this one. This book will help remind the candidate that saying things like, "I'd like to punch him in the face," is not alright. Trump's response after being interrupted by a protester at a rally in Nevada made a strong impression in the media earlier last week. Would you be happy if the future chief of state got mad and threatened to punch someone in the face?
7. The book: "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss
The moral: Take care of the environment!
Repeat after me: Climate Change is real. I'm not sure how much more scientific evidence we would need to sway Donald Trump from his views that it is a global hoax, but maybe revisiting this Dr. Seuss classic is a good way to start.
8. The book: "Winners Aren't Losers" by Donald J. Trump
The moral: Picture the opposite of everything you just learned from the above list.
If you need any other factors to determine your decision in regard to this GOP candidate's morals, just check out his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live where Kimmel debuts the Dr. Seuss-inspired children's book, "Winners Aren't Losers." This book will teach you everything about Trump's morals; however, I don't see this one being taught in preschool classrooms anytime soon.
