Have your children chosen their Father’s Day gifts yet? Culture Editor Janie Smith selects three brilliant books full of love, life and laughter to share and treasure forever.
Mr Grumpy Nails Fatherhood (Mr Men for Grown-Ups) by Roger Hargreaves
For generations children have been tickled pink by the Mr Men, the Little Misses and their escapades. Now there’s a new series just for grown-ups, full of Roger Hargreaves’ wonderful artwork and laugh-along new text – hurrah! If you love the Famous Five or Ladybird books for adults, you’ll love this, too, and Dad will adore the story of a grump’s progress on the road of fatherhood.
Children always think their Dads are grumpy, and most frequently they are, despite protesting otherwise! Mr Grumpy is the king of grump already and now he must face the challenges of being a modern Father. Can he cope? Will he get it right and drop the grumpiness? This is a perfect dose of humour for anyone who finds themselves amid the chaos of parenthood and trying to retain even just a little part of their own identity.
Dad I Wrote a Book About You: A Book All About the Best Dad in The World by Lovy Gifty
This DIY book gift is a lovely way to show your love for Dad: highly personal and enough to soften the toughest of hearts! Let your little darlings fill in the blank personalised book by following the prompts in their own words, and watch Dad melt as he reads them during his Father’s Day celebrations. No time to complete the book before the big day? No worries: make a promise to finish things off together, or include a hand-written voucher for the time you’re going to spend filling it in for him.
Man vs Toddler: The Trials and Triumphs of Toddlerdom by Matt Coyne
For Dad’s very first (or second) Father’s Day, every man should have a copy of this hilarious and all-too-true parenting book by Matt Coyne, the blogger behind Man vs Baby. His son Charlie has transformed from being a gurgling sweet bundle of joy into a walking, talking, pooing-everywhere toddler. The story takes us through just what happens when toddlerdom hits the family like a tornado: you are an exhausted wreck, clueless as to what is going on. The lie that parenting gets easier is fully and funnily exposed in this hysterical tale.
Luckily there is plenty of (occasionally foul-mouthed) advice about the really important issues, such as how not to do soft play, and dealing with humungous tantrums. Don’t read this in public or you will be carted away for laughing like a loon!
Wimbledon has a couple of really great bookshops and will always be happy to take your order if they don’t have the books on their shelves. I always like to choose new releases so you shouldn’t have any problem laying your hands on copies. What did your children gift their Daddy with? Do let us now in the comments below. And we’d love to hear what Dad thought of his wonderful gifts, too.
Written By: Janie Smith | Arts & Culture Editor
Instagram: @SW19Culture
Twitter: @SW19Culture
Email: cultureeditor@ladywimbledon.com
About The Author
Janie Smith
Janie Smith is a cup full of sass and the Culture Queen isn’t letting anything limit her. Whether she’s jet setting around the world or catching up on the latest shows she always has her ear to the ground.