Parenthood and childhood are two diverse but likewise very interrelated worlds that when they collide they create a supernova of occurrences that can only be explained and understood by the ones who have been or are currently part of the said elite planetary bumping.
Such was the message of Nathan Ripperger’s illustrated book, Things I’ve Said to My Children, a hilarious collection of lines he uttered to communicate “don’ts”, “nos”, and “please” as a seasoned father to five boys and a new baby.
The book is a great coffee-table material because it’s the kind of literature that doesn’t stress out your medulla oblongata just to decipher the writer’s code. The illustrations are spot on with the lines Ripperger said to his children my most favorite being “We do not poop in books.”
Ripperger took a brilliant attempt – and pretty much succeeded – in compiling years of weird and funny utterances in a book that can also be used as a children’s storybook, actually.
This book arrived in my mailbox on a rather smoky afternoon on the 25th of August and I pretty much jumped into examining its elaborate illustrations and reading the familiar lines.
But my two-year-old son, Nicholas, was the most interested party in the house as he refused to let go of the book and slept with it. He only returned it to me after a few hours when he found Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever in between the gap that separates his crib from his twin sister’s sleeping space.
For anyone who’s raising a growing family, you know that your home can be a circus of everything funny, absurd, and eccentric. Ripperger presents that creatively in Things I’ve Said to My Children. After five minutes of reading the book, you, if you happen to be a parent or a babysitter or even an older sibling to children, will remember your own version of things you’ve said to your children, nieces, and nephews.
My husband and I have a combined list too. Here are some samples:
- Stop hitting your sister; she’s not a punching bag.
- We don’t eat food from the trash can, boy.
- Pooh is not dead; he’s just taking his shower inside the washing machine.
- We don’t eat books, we read them.
- Get over here Nicholas or you’ll discover the road to Damascus!
Kind warning: if you’re newlyweds and are planning to make babies, read this with caution. You might think of foregoing your baby-making plans after learning that children can turn you into creatures who can blurt out “Please do not put the shark in your breakfast.” or “Ham is not a band-aid. Let’s not put ham on our knees.” without even realizing that you just did.
Seriously though, I found Things I’ve Said to My Children as a useful guide to those who want to be parents; a fun memorabilia to parents who have or will be graduating from raising toddlers and young children; and an all-day storybook for children of all ages.
And yes, please don’t forget to put this on your coffee table or the center table of your living room. It can be a really good conversation piece with your next visitors.
Note: This book will be released on September 15, 2015.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
