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Art & Books Books

A User’s Guide to Neglectful Parenting

A USER’S GUIDE TO NEGLECTFUL PARENTING by Guy Delisle (Drawn & Quarterly), 192 pages, $12.95 paper. Rating: NNNN


You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy Guy Delisle’s whimsical graphic novel. This collection of anecdotes, presumably taken from experience, has real charm. As the title reminds us, Delisle isn’t a contender for World’s Best Dad. Like many on-the-fly pops, he’s figuring it out as he goes along.

Here, Delisle answers his son’s questions via Google searches. He lurches into sex-ed talk with his boy when the kid is only asking about the Zelda video game. And he teaches his kids about drawing, but then gets frustrated when their art doesn’t live up to his high standards. It’s light-hearted but honest fun, sans heavy-handed lessons on Parenting 101.

The User’s Guide is a departure from Delisle’s recognized travelogue work, but his keen eye for detail remains. Just as he conveyed telling nuances about life in Jerusalem, here the endearing curiosity of children is brought into focus. While you might think he’s writing about parenting, a closer look reveals that he’s taking a loving, clear-eyed look at what it’s like to be a kid – questioning, sensitive, adventurous.

The only shortcoming is the absence of Mom. Sure, this is Delisle’s account of dealing with his children, but it would’ve been helpful to see how Mom and Dad work together to raise a family. But maybe Delisle is planning a sequel featuring an equally clueless mother.

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