Things I've Said to My Children

Things I’ve Said to My Children by Nathan Ripperger is an attractive gift book with lovely illustrations that will make a nice baby shower gift for some.

Author/Illustrator Ripperger, who is a graphic designer, has created amusing and colorful pictures for each of the unusual and sometimes absurd phrases that he’s uttered to his five children; phrases like, “Put that hatchet down, it’s time to get Jammies on,” and “Why is there a toilet seat on my coffee table?”

For those who intend this as a gift book, suitable for a quick browse or a chuckle, this book will surely satisfy; however, readers who purchase it for themselves might be disappointed after spending $14.99 on a book, to discover that it takes only minutes to read. What would have been interesting was an explanation of how these utterances came about, a quick paragraph of explanation that would make the book more fascinating and certainly a lengthier read.

It’s possible the publishers were hoping to capitalize on the parody children’s book trend, most notably represented by Adam Mansbach’s Go the Fuck to Sleep (reviewed in NYJB), but that book’s appeal was that it was shockingly funny, whereas Ripperger’s book, while attractive and well put together, is only mildly amusing.