'Tea Party Coloring Book' is kiddie propaganda art

As kids, lots of people had their first participatory art experience with coloring books. Simplified contour drawings in thick black lines leave blank spaces to be filled in with crayons or colored pencils.
 
Now, just in time for the November election, a small Midwest publisher has come up with a distinctive hybrid: a coloring book merged with kiddie propaganda.

"The Tea Party Coloring Book for Kids" is a 32-page "special edition" on the right-wing political movement, produced by a division of Really Big Coloring Books Inc. The online imprint of the St. Louis-based publisher produces one other special-edition product: a 2008 coloring book on then President-elect Barack Obama.

Cheerful in tone, semi-literate in its writing and factually challenged, "The Tea Party Coloring Book for Kids" offers itself as "a teaching and learning tool" for children ages 2 and up.

There aren't any drawings of tea bags suspended from sun hats, nor racist depictions of Obama as a witch doctor with a bone through his nose. Instead, puzzles, lyrics to patriotic songs and line drawings of the Statue of Liberty, edifices in Washington and the facade of the New York Stock Exchange are interspersed with free-market-obsessed texts.

Next to a big dollar sign, "Freedom of Choice and Economics" extols the "ability to choose your job in America's free market." Bright-eyed teen doctors flank "Good Health Care for All Americans," which means private medicine "not restricted by federal or state governments." "No more taxes!" is largely self-explanatory, a sentiment floating in the clouds above Mt. Rushmore.

Some of the drawings are funny. Pigs at a trough ("pork") look sick to their stomachs. The Mt. Rushmore presidents appear grave but worried. All of the citizens -- young or old -- wear big smiles on vacant, happy faces. Cluttered details on some of the drawings make the prospect of actual coloring dubious.

One drawing apparently cheering the virtues of agribusiness subsidies for the production of corn-based ethanol wouldn't cause Van Gogh to lose any sleep. A composition near the end, just before the workbook section on how to write your congressman, shows a wedge formation of striding young citizens that would likely pass muster with the Kukryniksy, the Moscow art collective that rose to the rank of People's Artist in the old USSR.

The texts are less funny. Government is "suppose [sic] to use our tax dollars" wisely. Federal debt has "become a life style because as [sic] this will bankrupt our country."  Run-on sentences are rife, which would have caused my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Adams, apoplexy.

But it's the premise of the coloring book that is the real eye-roller. Inside the front cover, the unidentified author explains that the origins of today's tea party are found in the iconic 1773 event in Boston's harbor -- and gets the history wrong.

The coloring book casts the pre-Revolutionary War episode in full fairy-tale mode, as a dispute between freedom-loving American colonists and an oppressive, far-away government that imposed taxes without their input.

In reality, a government deal with the British East India Company, one of the first and largest transnational corporations in history, meant that small businesses in the Colonies were going under because they could not compete. The Boston Tea Party was a popular uprising against big corporate tax cuts enacted by the British Parliament, many of whose members were, like King George III, major company stockholders. 

Speaking of deals, in 2004, Really Big Coloring Books entered into a partnership with MeadWestvaco Corp. to print and distribute its product line, an arrangement expanded in 2008 and now including the "Tea Party" tome. A business with global interests in packaging, office products, chemicals and real estate in 30 countries, the company also has an active political action committee based in Richmond, Va.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, MeadWestvaco's PAC has spent more than $95,000 in the current election cycle on contributions to 17 House and nine Senate candidates, 91% Republicans. In May, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led a forum at MeadWestvaco's Richmond offices calling for repeal of healthcare legislation passed this year by Congress.

A report by Britain's Guardian newspaper says the coloring book, which retails for $3.95, has sold in the thousands. It is being reprinted daily, presumably without corrections, to keep up with demand.

-- Christopher Knight
twitter.com/KnightLAT

Photos: "The Tea Party Coloring book for Kids." Credit: Christopher Knight /Los Angeles Times

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Comments

[Matthew McKinley]

This is the type of leftist reporting that led to my cancellation of my subscription to the Times years ago. The Tea Party is simply anti-big government. To borrow a phrase from Dennis Prager, "the bigger the government, the smaller the citizen."

[Jabronimaster]

I will be buying as many of these as I can get. Who ever is issuing death threats to the author is an idiot. Probably somebody that is totally dependent on the government right now and has ZERO motivation to get off their rear end and GET A JOB! It's like my grandpa always said GET A JOB! You want something GET A JOB! You want to eat GET A JOB! Even if that means you have to scrape poop off the road that is exactly what you do to provide for you and your family. Check out more at this awesome freakin site: www.jabronitools.com

[Kris Krajnovich]

Did this reporter get upset when children were forced by their teacher at B. Bernice Young Elementary School to sing songs praising "mmmmm mmmm mmmm Barrack Hussein Obama!"? At least these coloring books are being given to children by their consenting parents rather than agendized teachers. The reporter's assertation that the Boston Tea Party was not a protest against taxes is also patently false. The Boston Tea Party was a direct result of the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 where the crown forced the colonies to pay a tax on tea. This tax was to make up for lost tax revenues due to a tax cut on tea in Great Britain proper. Of course this infuriated the colonists who demanded that Parliment not levy taxes on them without having their own members of Parliment to argue for their interests. This is where the famous "No taxation without representation" comes from.

[jll]

The Tea Party "claims" to be for small government, yet many of the candidates that are currently running for office think nothing of promoting ideas in which the government has jurisdiction over our private affairs and sex lives. That isn't smaller government to me.

[Steven Sprunger]

This is the same 'propaganda' the left has been using to indoctrinate our children for years (see global warming). If teaching children about US history is brainwashing then I say suds away.

[Arky]

I guess there's no accuracy or fact checking for this article.
The Tea Act taxed all tea coming to the US.
The fight against the Tea Act was two fold:
1. Other ships carrying taxed tea had been turned away at other US harbors and sent back to Britain. The general consensus is that Britain had no right to tax the tea or any other US goods, AKA 'Taxation without representation".
2. The then Governor of Boston refused to send the tea back to Britain. The 'Tea Party' fully intended to keep the tea from US soil.
How many 'Big Corporate Taxcuts' did they have in 1773? Who was collecting taxes anyway.
I'll bet those crazies that wrote that Declaration of Independence and that US Constitution thingy where behind the whole mess.

[Ron S.]

Based on the Times review, I'd say this is will make a great gift for every child on my holiday shopping list.

If they call it "factually challenged", it means they challenge it because the facts aren't what they would like them to be.

[DanStlMo]

Funny the author does not mention the same company publishes an Obama coloring book.

[Nick]

Dont worry, the progressive communist knee-jerk response to this coloring book will be to release their own "coloring book" glorifying; Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Ho Che Minh etc as wonderful "centrists" whom wanted nothing but the best for their nations. Then the progressive communist teachers unions will attempt to make it REQUIRED material in all public schools (k-3rd) until the kiddies can be indoctrinated with the communist manifesto and Marx's 10-points, of course.

[Tom]

I think it's fantastic!!!!!!!!

I'm going to Google it and find out where I can buy a few of them for my Grandchildren.

Thanks for letting me know about this!

Tea Party colouring book sells 'many thousands'
Publisher says it is having to order daily reprints

Wayne Bell told CBS News, and he is having to reprint every day to keep up with demand. "We have sold many thousands," he said, adding that the book is outselling an Obama colouring book which he also publishes.

"The Tea Party calls upon our representatives to limit the government's role in everyday life, and to support people and businesses, but not demand from, control or over tax the people or businesses," says one page, accompanied by an American flag for children to colour in. "The government should never become a burden in our lives."

A five-star review on the publisher's website said it was "about time" a colouring book about the Tea Party was published. "This is a good idea to have a book with [an] actual message that children can colour and learn at the same time about a real movement," wrote Sandy Swann, "educator". "I just love it ... a book on Tea Parties ... I am ordering one now!"

Order yours here;

http://www.coloringbook.com/teapartycoloringbook.aspx

[dave]

Kids will find this about as appealing as last night's broccoli.

[Nils]

Maybe we should buy a lot of copies and send them to Palin and the rest of the GOP etc . Its about their level of intellect . Next up , a Tea Party "Join the Dots " book with no picture having more than 10 dots ...... wouldn't want to get the Republicans confused by trying to count . Then followed by an edition where application of water reveals the pictures colors ..... as GOP & T P members drool on the page . The possibilities are endless !

[Red]

I am sure the tea parents, who were high on pot during the Bush years and left a "conservative" government bankrupt the US, will be the ones coloring this book during their don't-know-what-to-do-while-I-watch-Fox-news moments.

Sounds like they must be making a killing selling these in Texas, oh the losers.

[Evan R.]

The coloring book really doesn't bother me, but the fact that these are the same people that cried out about "indoctrinating" our children when Obama first took office just cries out hypocrisy.

Let the kids color. Let the kids color in your book. But YOU need to shut your d@mn mouths.

[Robert Mudd]

Civics Quiz for Tea Partiers
(Please honor your country by not voting until you can answer ALL correctly)
NOTE: Closed book; No Googling allowed!

1) What were the Articles of Confederation & when were they in effect?
2) Why did the Articles of Confederation fail, leading to the Constitutional Convention that produced the document you hold so dear?
3) Did the founders agree on everything? (Hint: see #4 for hint)? Explain.
4) Which state's delegation walked out of the Constitutional Convention & never signed the final document?
5) What was The Great Compromise?
6) Who are the 3 people who represent you in Congress?

Optional (for extra credit):

During the past 5 years, have you voted in EVERY election for which you were eligible (including school boards, city councils, judges, etc.)?

[rusoviet]

Oh no - no more barakska 'I love Barack' homages - how come? Nah let's focus on the tea party coloring book that's because NAMBLA and 'festiveness' condom on a banana don't work got it?

If only Jack our Jack were still channeling from his Hefner hole man I forgot Klintonska took 'Kamelot' one page higher to assaultalot.

What I need is for the alleged rapist to explain his play you know him or Hillary (when she isn;'t channeling Eleanor Roosevelt) to come clean on those Cray Computers sold the Commie Reds in China -what? No way? Rainey and Rutten are banking on 'la bruja' to give them their own sinecures when she gets her hands on the levers in 2012 once she's dumped Barakska - ok...

Klintonska - man what a player -'allegedly' sexually assaults a woman but no one on the left says a thing then again when does the left ever?

Teddy -Mary Jo
Barney Festiveness - hello sailor!

You go Rainey and you to Lopez - say hello to 'Mother Jones' and your $600 for your weekly whining...

[jeff]

For the LA Times, capitalism is bad, patriotism is propaganda and we should all come worship at the shrine of helping those who are too lazy...I mean ...unable to help themselves.

Yes the poor grammar suggests that even conservatives have gone through the great dilution that is our public school system.

[Earl R Enyard]

I am surprised the "Tea Party Movement" can not realize the difference between suppose and supposed in that children's propaganda message. Do we accept that as poetic license or as stupid rednecks who do not have education and know the real truth?

[Former USC Professor]

At $3.95 a pop, I guess only White rich kids can afford it.

Was it printed in China?

[Manuel]

Table of Contents:

Why Slavery Was a Good Thing! (page 2)

Are The Jews Controlling The New World Order? (page 5)

Obama and Noose "Connect The Dots Game" (page 7)

Why Jesus Hates "Femi-Nazis" Bedtime Story (page 10)