Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”). Reminiscent of Bill Cosby’sFatherhood, Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

My thoughts-

I thought the title of this book was funny and I have seen a few of Jim Gaffigan's stand up acts, so I thought it might be a fun read. I didn't realize that the Gaffigan's have five children! I have been lamenting the fact that my husband and I become outnumbered in a very short period of time...while when my first baby was 13 months old, we tried and successfully became pregnant with our second baby...and our third baby. We had only planned on evening out the score and having two total, so having three kids, that are exceptionally close in age, it has been a pretty big adventure the last 5 years! I really enjoyed this book because I could relate to a lot of the scenarios Jim Gaffigan had mentioned going through with his children. I like that he can joke about parenting, the same way my husband and I do sometimes about our gaggle of kids. This book had me laughing out loud more than a few times. I could not even begin to imagine having more than 3 children and we live in a decent sized house in the suburbs with a nice backyard. Jim's stories about living in a two bedroom apartment in New York City, especially the stories that involve him getting 5 kids ages 8 and under down 5 flights of stairs to go anywhere, were super funny. I like this lighthearted book and I think most parents, especially parents of several kids could relate to it. In addition to all of the cute stories and self deprecating humor, I also really enjoyed reading how completely enamored Jim Gaffigan is of his wife. It is evident from the very clever theatrical like opening of the book where he lists her as having multiple "roles" in the book/family and all the way through when he consistently mentions her. It is refreshing to see a husband write so sweetly about his wife. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh, but especially to parents...who need one.


Dad is Fat is available on Amazon.com.

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