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GONZO PARENTING

THE COMIC BOOK

Real-life parenting tales that will make readers laugh—and maybe recognize themselves.

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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

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THE CARTOON HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE II

VOLS. 8-13, FROM THE SPRINGTIME OF CHINA TO THE FALL OF ROME

Imagine a collaboration between Arnold Toynbee and R. Crumb and you get a pretty good idea of Gonick's clever and ambitious comic book series. This volume should not be taken as some kind of Mel Brooksish joke. Gonick does his research and interprets his sources with scholarly care. Inspired by the educational comic books of Latin American artist RIUS, Gonick makes world history a blast— literally, with his predilection for onomatopoeic word balloons. In this second collection—the last left us with Alexander the Great schlepping toward Persia—Gonick takes us on a side tour through India and China. He integrates myth and history to establish the origins of sectarian conflict in India, and attends to migration patterns from the Middle East to China in order to explain the development of Buddhism and Confucianism. Dynamic intrigue and the threat of northern barbarians compete with periods of prolonged peace. This highly selective version of Chinese history, though full of diverting stories, will be a bit confusing to readers unfamiliar with the main players. Back in Rome, meanwhile, after the death of Alexander, the republic enters its period of glory, followed by the building of the empire. Problems of succession lead to lots of lurid anecdotes about perverse and insatiable emperors, violent entertainments, brutal conquests—all of which Gonick records with Mad-like irreverence. He equivocates, however, in telling the story of Jesus, ending up with an uneasy mix of canonical fact and outright heresy. His account of the historical rise of Christianity is superb and demonstrates an interesting parallel with China: In both cases alien cults from the edge of the empires eventually captured the capital cities. Gonick's humor is mostly visual and relies on the juxtaposition of comical images with his relatively sober text. Despite his lefty, multi-culty inclinations, Gonick maintains the high level of sophistication, skepticism, and just plain fun established by the first volume.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1994

ISBN: 0-385-42093-5

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994

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HARRY HOUDINI

A clumsy graphic biography of the renowned illusionist. Capturing the last six weeks or so of Houdini’s life, it shows him as a hardworking perfectionist with the ultimate “show-must-go-on” attitude. Taking a young apprentice under his wing, Houdini teaches him the art of magic, up to his untimely death. The boy’s uncle, a fan, contributes interstitial “journal entries.” As biography, this book is hugely problematic. Odd inconsistencies within the narrative include a faux–New York Times article from the day of Houdini’s death; readers may well think the text is from the actual publication, when in fact it is not. With no source notes or other background information provided, there is no way for readers to know where the author has taken artistic license. Also conspicuously missing are any recommendations for further reading or suggestions of websites to visit. Singh’s art is bland, leaving a dull patina on typically exciting subject matter. Skip this altogether and grab Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi’s exquisite—and better-researched—Houdini: The Handcuff King (2007). (Graphic biography. 9-12)

Pub Date: July 27, 2010

ISBN: 978-93-80028-25-5

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Campfire

Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010

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