Author: Brian Gordon
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Pages: 128
Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting by Brian Gordon combines some of his best comic strips into a single book that you can carry about with you, and occasionally peer into too, when you want the comfort of knowing that you aren't alone in whichever stage of parenthood you may be in.
If you are a parent, be forewarned: Vigorous nodding ahead.
The cover page, "I used to be cool and do cool things..." is the story of our lives. All of us parents, and the change we've undergone since we had our children. The image shows Daddy Duck sprawled on his back, with a flabbergasted look on his face, while Duckling bounces excitedly over his protruding stomach. Just goes to show how far we've come.
It sets the tone for what is to follow and we jump into the rest of the book excitedly. The book deals with a gamut of issues ranging from the difference between our imagined dreams and reality, disciplining our children, the similarities and differences between our children and us, and how both drive us batty, playtime with children and what happens when baby leaves you sleep deprived, answering questions from our children, car safety for children, taking kids to the doctor, me-time, watching the clock.
At this rate, I might end up mentioning them all.
The book also talks about the fearsome "Because I said so," which saves us when all options are exhausted, and the hilarious fear of Number 3. You won't understand that last one till you read the strip.
The comics remind me of how they say that having two kids makes you a referee.
The best one is the one on the back cover when Daddy Duck explains the misery and magic of being a parent: "It's mostly drudgery and frustration, but it's still, like, the best thing ever."
That won't make sense until you become a parent.
The only piece of lengthy writing here is the introduction. The others are comic strips, with the most minimum and yet expressive of blurbs, supported by the cartoon that says it all.
In the introduction, Gordon writes, "My hope is that this little collection of cartoons will give a little comfort to any parent out there who feels a little frazzled at times."
And so, here it is, comfort and laughter in a delightful package. Of course, you could get all the strips for free on the Internet, but this little book would serve as a cute and charming gift that new parents would certainly appreciate.
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