A Birthday Cake for Washington has been the subject of much criticism because it portrays slaves as being happy. Scholastic hide caption toggle caption Scholastic The Two-Way Amid Controversy, Scholastic Pulls Picture Book About Washington's Slave January 18, 2016 • The book tells the story of Hercules, a slave whom George Washington used as a chef. The book shows Hercules and his daughter happy and taking pride in making the president a birthday cake.