When a Bully is President: Children's Literature for Oppressive Times

Children's literature is not devoid of political discourse. Notwithstanding the value of subtle political messaging, this article examines children's literature with overt political content that provides all readers—children and adults—tools to engage contemporary movements like "Water is Life" or "Black Lives Matter." Such is the case with Maya Gonzalez's (2017a) When a Bully is President: Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times/Cuando el Presidente es un Bulí: La Verdad y la Creatividad en Tiempos Opresivos, which incorporates major themes such as colonization, slavery, war, and xenophobia through a queer and feminist of color political lens. Rather than shielding readers from social inequalities, Gonzalez reframes these within bully discourse and social justice responses to bullying through what I am identifying as temporal interconnection and collective creativity—as evidenced by the book's call for "truth and creativity." Created during dire times, When a Bully is President invites us to pause, witness, reflect, and engage in collective action in order to cultivate a queer and feminist of color future.