The history of celebrities penning children’s books is a sordid one. Sure, there have been a few decent works (Ricky Gervais’ Flanimals comes to mind), but just as often, the results reflect an attempt to infect young minds with self-serving nonsense. Think of John Travolta’s Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which promotes flying around in private planes (and Scientology?); Madonna’s The English Roses (the Kabbalah Center); Sting’s Noah’s Ark redo, Rock Steady (an insidious promo for his song of the same name) and Julianne Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry (pro-ginger propaganda).
Next up is Shakira, who’s put on some damn clothes, teamed up with fellow Latina superstar, Dora, and “written” World School Adventure Day, a neon-hued multiculturalist manifesto in which Dora and a galoshes-wearing monkey rush around the world delivering laptops and other supplies so various schools can participate in a global video chat. Which would be a fun idea if it existed. But no. “It was made up,” a publicist from Simon and Schuster tells us.
While the tome is certainly no “Hips Don’t Lie,” Shakira completists—and Dora completists, for that matter—will surely want to snap up a copy or two. (Shaki’s Barefoot Foundation received a donation in exchange for her participation.)
