I picked up the tan book. Dr. J walked over. “Are there funny things in that book?”
“Yes,” I answered, surprised that he knew that.
“Is that Griffin’s book?” he further questioned.
“Yes, it’s Griffin’s book.” Someone had been paying attention.
Every so often when the boys were playing nicely together, I’d pick up the tan book and read it. Almost every time I picked it up, I laughed. And laughed. Sometimes I laughed so much I almost cried. If our own Daddy were sitting at the computer working on stuff, I’d say, “Listen to this…” and read an excerpt from the book. Then Daddy would laugh. Dr. J had been listening to me laugh and hearing me say Griffin’s name when I read the excerpts.
You see, Big Daddy, a guest during Autism Awareness Month, has published a book. He calls it Big Daddy’s Tales from the Lighter Side of Raising a Kid with Autism. Just like his blog, his book approaches autism with humor. Don’t worry. You still see the seriousness of autism–obsessions, health issues, sensory challenges, lack of social skills, developmental delays, etc. It’s just that you see it from a lighthearted perspective.
Big Daddy sprinkled some of his famous cartoons throughout the book. My favorite one is the dodge ball game. Dr. J’s favorites are about sleep (or should I say lack thereof) and elevators. My all-time favorite story is the one about Wilford Brimley. And believe me, there are a lot of funny stories in this book! In addition to being funny, the stories are short, so you can read one between meltdowns, even!
Why do I like Big Daddy’s Tales so much? Because I can relate to it. His son Griffin is eight years older than Dr. J. However, I can see Dr. J doing some very similar things. I have listened to other stories from parents, and they sure sounded similar, too. Seems to me like that’s something we can relate to. Sounds like good comedy to me.
There are also stories from twelve of Big Daddy’s friends–other bloggers who are parenting children on the autism spectrum. They’re good writers, too. They wrote good stories, too. I could relate to them, too.
If you don’t have autism in your life, this would be a good introduction. You still see the effects autism has on Griffin and his family. If you’re paying attention, you will catch that there are a lot of stories that probably aren’t so funny that didn’t get put in the book.
I wonder what would happen if I were to take Big Daddy’s book to a bookstore and just sit in the cafe and laugh my spectrum mommy head off. Maybe I’ll do that some day. Maybe I’d end up selling some of Big Daddy’s books. Maybe security would cart me away. I’d have to leave in an elevator.
If you’d like to order this book for Father’s Day for a dad you know (or for yourself), especially one dealing with autism or any other special need, click here or you can order a copy for your Kindle here. You could be reading F. Lewis Stark’s masterpiece in less than a couple of minutes!
Big Daddy sent me a copy of his book for honest review. All opinions are my own. I almost forgot to say this because the book is so funny, it wasn’t work!
