Stephen Colbert turns inept Trump quotes into children’s book to benefit Carolinas

Stephen Colbert has had many bestselling books to his credit, but never one quite like the one that the sharp-witted humorist plugged last week. “Whose Boat Is This Boat?” is being published under the auspices of Simon & Schuster, who have many notable books for readers of all ages to their credit, but this will be Donald Trump's first outing into children's literature, however unwitting.

Many hearts have been lifted by the never-ending political pokes, not to mention the versatile array of song and dance routines that Stephen Colbert seems to pull out of thin air.

These polarizing and divisive days would hardly be survivable if not for laughter. Colbert is never shy about his love and loyalty to his South Carolina roots, and the host has heeded the call of need in his homeland before. With waters reportedly rising to their highest point ever in the wake of Hurricane Florence on Friday, as rivers crested, the erstwhile host thought that the best response would be to employ the very words of the commander-in-chief to the matter of rendering aid.

Yahoo and the Boston Globe both featured stories about the unusual collaborative project of the Book on September 29th and 30th, assuring that readers of all ages can contribute to social good and those in need and still put a little gift sure to bring laughter under the holiday tree.

Giving full credit

Already, as of September 30, “Whose Boat Is This Boat?” is an Amazon bestseller. Stephen Colbert had another publishing hit last September with his spinoff of his “Midnight Confessions” segment on his nightly show. His timing for this leap into books is likely due mostly to mother nature, but also because his comic contemporaries, like The Daily Show and John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight” have their own month young readers’ turn with the times with Oliver's “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” and “The Donald J Trump Presidential Twitter Library” as the foray from Colbert’s former stomping grounds.

Never one to usurp his celebrity status, Steven Colbert is careful to give full credit where it is due. Donald J Trump receives full authorship credit, complete with “by Accident” noted in parentheses. There was little need for embellishment but the host known for his political character, because, as any of the late-night hosts can attest, the president continues to write his own best material.

Call it an ark of inspiration

The concept for the book came from Stephen Colbert’s September 20 monologue, and its complete subtitle is “Comments That Don’t Help in the Aftermath of a Hurricane.” The direct verbal exchanges occurred between Trump and one unassuming homeowner of New Bern, North Carolina, who had a boat wash up against his property. The mockup book was so well received that now it is a real children's book with a truly higher purpose.

In his usual fashion, Donald Trump couldn't seem to muster the human compassion to offer the gentleman a hug or a simple “How are you?” in the tragic circumstance, but he had a myriad of questions about the water vessel that never even belonged to the man he questioned.

Stephen Colbert described that the chief executive’s remarks were so “disturbingly inappropriate,” not to mention recorded worldwide, that there could be no moral to the story.

100% of the proceeds of the book will go to Foundation for the Carolinas, One SC Fund, North Carolina Disaster Relief, and World Central Kitchen, assuring that “Donald Trump’s comments about that boat are helping, in spite of him, “ the host declares.

Perfectly timed for the midterm elections, “Whose Boat Is This Boat?” will be released to retailers on November 6, and is available for pre-order now. Funny how a misguided obsession for a destroyed water vessel has transformed into a vessel for doing good for those whose lives are impacted for weeks, months, and years to come—sometimes, a caring, comic mind makes all the difference. That makes a worthy moral to this small part of the new children’s tale.