I Am a Pole (And So Can You)

In this audio edition of Colbert’s children’s book, Tom Hanks performs a rhyming story about a metal pole suffering from an existential crisis. The pole goes through numerous jobs—he tries working at a barber shop; he tries working at a strip club—before (spoiler alert) deciding to become a flag pole: “the very best kind of pole that I could hope to be.” A large portion of this eight-minute production features Colbert interrupting Hanks by trying to read the title’s ISBN and by attempting to convince Hanks to re-read the text in Spanish. Despite its brevity, this audiobook boasts excellent production values, a soundtrack, and an entertaining reading from Hanks—he is, after all, an Academy Award–winning actor—who has excellent chemistry with Colbert. A Grand Central hardcover. (May)