I know that child labour is generally frowned upon but, in this economy, sometimes you’ve got to put your kid to work. Last week I gave my four-year-old an important assignment: she had to watch all four episodes of Usha Vance’s new video podcast and provide a detailed review. Forty minutes later, her verdict was in: “I love it, mama.”

To be fair, my kid loves pretty much anything on a screen. Still, I didn’t hate Usha’s new children’s podcast either. Launched a couple of weeks ago, Storytime With the Second Lady is aimed at promoting literacy. In the first instalment, Usha reads The Tale of Peter Rabbit; in subsequent episodes, a celebrity guest reads their favourite book.

Usha isn’t a born entertainer – she sounds scripted and her delivery is a little wooden – but she has a calming voice. If you can ignore the rank hypocrisy of the second lady talking about the joys of kids reading while the Trump administration bombs schoolchildren abroad, slashes education funding at home and tries to cut library funding, the podcast is pretty wholesome.

It’s also somewhat unexpected. Usha, who gave up a successful career as a lawyer when Vance was chosen as Trump’s running mate, has kept a low profile in recent years. Apart from the fact that podcasts are very hot right now, what precipitated the second lady’s sudden move into the media?

I don’t doubt that various political strategists have decided that Usha might help JD win a few hearts and minds

Partly, Usha has explained, her love of reading. She certainly seems to like being photographed with a book in her hand. In recent years she has been snapped wielding a........

© The Guardian