Real-life parenting tales that will make readers laugh—and maybe recognize themselves.
Rooke presents humorous cartoons and essays celebrating the parenting experience.
The author has built an entire online community around “gonzo parenting,” which he defines as “full-contact parenting. Being in the thick of the messy, authentic, barely-controlled chaos.” His musings online, including stories, videos, and a podcast, have led to this delightful book, in which Rooke’s real-life stories about parenting his 7-year-old twins are paired with fun, full-color illustrations by Vijayan. The book covers a number of aspects of the parenting journey in more than 50 cartoon strips. Their titles (including “Sugar Shock,” “Lemonade Stand,” “No More Weekends,” “Dads Taking Care of Other Dads,” “Pillow Fighter,” and “Pandemic Parenting”) let the reader know what to expect. The topics will be familiar to many caregivers; “Nowhere To Hide,” for instance, is a four-panel look at a dad caught trying to hide out in the bathroom. “Screw the Instructions” is an account of an ill-fated father-and-son attempt to put something together. Interspersed between the strips are four essays that tackle some of the same parenting subjects, always with a humorous twist. The author’s strength in this collection is identifying topics that are as universal as possible in the realm of parenthood—some of the cartoon strips are funnier than others, but nearly all hit on truths that any caregiver could identify with. Rooke excels at writing the dialogue for the cartoon panels, and in his essays, which run a few pages each, he demonstrates that he’s just as effective with longer-form pieces. Compilations of cartoon strips often seem a bit haphazard; this collection avoids that pitfall with its focus on parenting, from which it never strays. And the trip, thanks to Rooke’s sense of humor, is a whole lot of fun.
Real-life parenting tales that will make readers laugh—and maybe recognize themselves.Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798985659283
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
A memoir for those who want to laugh through the free fall of their own emotional roller coaster.
A humorous take on dread.
In her amusing graphic memoir, cartoonist Correll turns her emotional roller coaster into a literal, visual experience with her own amusement park of worries that she calls Anxietyland. Within this playful framework, she guides readers through her lifelong struggle with severe anxiety—there are attractions like the “worry-go-round,” “booze cruise,” “downward spiral,” and more, all culminating in finding the help that not only helps her manage the anxiety, but pushes her to do the work in confronting and living with it. To her credit, Correll uses the amusement park concept to dissect points in her life where her anxiety was holding her hostage from leading a fulfilling life. One panel shows Correll’s whimsical approach, as when her cat, Oliver, goes missing. “Why hasn’t he come home?” she thinks, her eyes full of worry, her mouth downturned. “What if he’s dead?” The subsequent image shows her pet peeking into the panel; the accompanying text reads, “Oliver (very much alive).” It’s one thing to read a memoir that breaks down episodes with the benefit of time and knowledge; it’s a completely different experience to see someone living through their depression while hanging on for dear life in “anxie-tea” cups. Readers who hold season passes to Anxietyland will be able to laugh along with the author, but this book will also benefit those coming to terms with a new or future anxiety diagnosis. These readers may, for the first time, be able to put their swirling emotions into a tangible context that makes more sense to them and others. That’s the beauty of Correll’s memoir: The book provides a comical medium lens that can open doors to understanding—rather than a door to the house of horrors.
A memoir for those who want to laugh through the free fall of their own emotional roller coaster.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781668004159
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
An accessible, informative journey through complex issues during turbulent times.
Immersion journalism in the form of a graphic narrative following a Syrian family on their immigration to America.
Originally published as a 22-part series in the New York Times that garnered a Pulitzer for editorial cartooning, the story of the Aldabaan family—first in exile in Jordan and then in New Haven, Connecticut—holds together well as a full-length book. Halpern and Sloan, who spent more than three years with the Aldabaans, movingly explore the family’s significant obstacles, paying special attention to teenage son Naji, whose desire for the ideal of the American dream was the strongest. While not minimizing the harshness of the repression that led them to journey to the U.S.—or the challenges they encountered after they arrived—the focus on the day-by-day adjustment of a typical teenager makes the narrative refreshingly tangible and free of political polemic. Still, the family arrived at New York’s JFK airport during extraordinarily political times: Nov. 8, 2016, the day that Donald Trump was elected. The plan had been for the entire extended family to move, but some had traveled while others awaited approval, a process that was hampered by Trump’s travel ban. The Aldabaans encountered the daunting odds that many immigrants face: find shelter and employment, become self-sustaining quickly, learn English, and adjust to a new culture and climate (Naji learned to shovel snow, which he had never seen). They also received anonymous death threats, and Naji wanted to buy a gun for protection. He asked himself, “Was this the great future you were talking about back in Jordan?” Yet with the assistance of selfless volunteers and a community of fellow immigrants, the Aldabaans persevered. The epilogue provides explanatory context and where-are-they-now accounts, and Sloan’s streamlined, uncluttered illustrations nicely complement the text, consistently emphasizing the humanity of each person.
An accessible, informative journey through complex issues during turbulent times.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-30559-6
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Metropolitan/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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