Fowl Language is a comic, but one that is specifically geared towards adults. The title is not just in reference to the ducks. That being said, there is not a lot of actual foul language, which I appreciate.

The comics were unexpected. The last panel always threw me off guard. You think you know what is coming, but like kids, sometimes you are just along for the ride.

When reading this book, make sure you do not skip to the actual comics. The humor begins in the introduction. While I don't have kids and I can't draw, I feel like I have now been given a gift, a way to help cope with kids doing crazy stuff without going crazy myself.

I would recommend this book to people with kids and people who want to enjoy laughing at parenting struggles. If you are planning a fantasy where you have perfect children that never do anything you believe to be inappropriate, this book is not for you. After you have had kids for a few years and your dream is in the past, then read this book and find joy in knowing that raising kids is hard and hilarious at the same time. It's all in how you look at it.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Brian Gordon
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 10 Oct 2017

Introduction:

A couple of years ago, I had read a graphic novel called “Tales from the Crib” which was written by Henrik Drescher and it detailed the struggles of parenting in a humorous way. Several years later, I came across this interesting new graphic novel that I received from NetGalley called “Fowl Language: The Struggle is Real” which is by Brian Gordon and it also details the struggles of being a parent in a humorous way and I enjoyed this graphic novel as much as I enjoyed “Tales from the Crib!”

What is this story about?

This graphic novel is basically about the main character, who is a male fowl, trying to deal with his two children and the graphic novel goes into the ups and downs of being a parent such as; trying to get some peace and quiet while the kids are gone, trying to find other adults to talk to after spending so much time with your own children and trying to get your child to go to sleep. Also, this graphic novel shows that despite all the craziness that you are put through when dealing with your children, you still love them in the end!

What I loved about this story:

Brian Gordon’s writing: Oh my gosh! I still cannot stop laughing after reading this graphic novel! Brian Gordon has done a fantastic job at writing this graphic novel as I really enjoyed the harsh trials of being a parent being shown in a humorous and satirical way! I loved seeing the scenes where the father duck is trying so hard to deal with his children, while trying to get some peace and quiet, whenever his kids are away as it does hit home for many parents who have to cope with dealing with their children’s demands. But at the same time, this graphic novel shows the struggles that parents have to go through with their children in such a hilarious way that I cannot help but laugh at the father duck’s misfortune at dealing with his kids! Probably two of my most favorite moments in this graphic novel was one where the father duck is imagining a parody for the TV series “24” by titling it “21” and the joke here is that the father duck has to find a TV program that his kids would sit down and watch so he can have time to do the chores around the house (luckily, the program that the kids are watching is ninety minutes long, giving him even more time to do his chores). The other moment I enjoyed was the one where the father duck is trying to explain to his kids about what a record player and a CD is since the kids are only familiar with YouTube and it reminded me of the few times where I try to explain to some little kids about what a CD player is since some of them grew up listening to music on an iPhone or through YouTube.

Brian Gordon’s artwork: Brian Gordon’s artwork is both cute and hilarious to look at as are all the ducks in this graphic novel are drawn in a cute squat style and I especially loved the images of the father duck having wide popped out eyes whenever he gets shocked or annoyed by his kids’ hijinks. The simplistic style of the artwork also brings out the humor in the situations that the characters get into as the highlight of the artwork is seeing the ducks’ reactions to whatever hilarious situations they all get into.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like strong language, there is some usage of the “f” and “s” words respectively and some readers might be taken aback by the coarse language clashing with the cute artwork displayed in this graphic novel.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Fowl Language: The Struggle is Real” is a hilarious read for adults who are parents or are becoming parents and want to find a book that pokes fun at the tough trials of parenting! I am definitely going to be reading the rest of this series pretty soon!

I follow Brian Gordon on Instagram so many of these I had seen before but they are still funny. Funny because his view on fatherhood is so similar to mine: the ups and downs, the best and worst moments, how challenging it is and then that one shining moment that makes all the sleepless nights totally worth it. Every dad (and even mom!) with more than 1 child really needs to read this. You're not alone!

A funny collection of comics describing the trials and tribulations of parenthood. A great collection, I only wish it had been longer!

I started seeing this Fowly cartoons on the internet and Facebook and found them hilarious. All the situations that mommy Fowl has to deal with, I have experienced sometime in my own life with my own son. Very funny and relevant! Worth your time.

There are moments of amusement here and I appreciate that most of the strips appear to be originals, not things I have previously seen online. The drawings are cute and I like the idea of using ducks for children. Sadly my market is as far away from nappy valley as possible in London, so this isn't quite right for us, and it's not quite dark enough for the tongue in cheek gift from aunts or uncles.

I laughed out loud when I read this book, and that's something I rarely do. It is so funny and at the same time, so true. I'm not sure that it would be a good first baby present, but for a second or third baby, it would be wonderful. At the very least, it would remind the parents that they aren't alone.

Brian Gordon captures many moments where parents are their wits' end, trying desperately to remember that they still love their children. In several of the comics, he even talks about that parental feeling of thinking you know what love is, only to have it completely redefined when you have children. This book is great for parents battling between the two ends of the spectrum...

I love that he opened the book with a reminder that the reason airplane flight warning instructions start with "Put your mask on first, then on the faces of those around you who need help" because he's right...if a parents don't take the time to give themselves a little release, how can they be expected to take care of anyone else?

As I was always do, I highlighted my favorite of the comics to return to after: "Parenting is mostly just trying to explain in gentle, age-appropriate terms why being a dumbass and doing dumb shit will fuck your shit up."

Another great collection from Brian Gordon of the strip that seems to constantly pop up everywhere. There's a lot more here that the usual fare that gets shared, and it highlights Gordon's ability with pathos and dry wit a lot more than what we quickly swipe through on facebook or instagram.
You don't need to be a parent to appreciate this collection, but it definitely helps with some of the strips. While not 'laugh-out-loud' funny, there's plenty that this mum related too.

A quick and fun read!

As a parent, I found truth in all of these. I laughed out loud at a few of these, especially at the baby monitor, the cussing one, and the mess and sneaking a snack.

I felt a lot of these could have just ended at just the one slide- as they were funny enough-then the second or third slide would show up and kind of put a damper on the whole joke.
I had kept seeing his work on 9gag, and wanted to check out more of his stuff. This book for sure put a smile on my face, and can't wait to check out even more of his artwork and silliness.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley for an honest opinion. I would like to thank Brian Gordon and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this Arc.

I loved the few comics from Fowl Language that I had seen come across on meme pages and on Facebook. I thought I would give the book a shot.

I laughed out loud pretty constantly. I annoyed my friends to read the comics and kept shoving my phone in their faces. They either love the series or hate it now, hard to tell since I was bouncing around too caught up in the comic to really pay attention.

The basic premise is there is a duck family. The father duck interacts with his two ducklings as they act like typical children. I don’t have children, but I have two very needy dogs so I feel like I understand the mild version of what the artist and author was going for.

The art is consistent, easy to read, and fits the story wonderfully. I doubt the comic would be as funny if the characters were anything but animals. It makes things seem a but more ridiculous which is fitting for the subject matter.

I am a big fan and I will be tracking down the other books!

This was a quick hilarious read! This is the first book I've read by Brian Gordon and I loved it! I'm going to look for his other books.

If you have kids this is totally relatable!

This is a quick little comic style book, continuing Brian Gordon's humorous take on parenting and dealing with young children. About 70% has panels previously published elsewhere and online while the remaining 30% is new and exclusive to the book. Gordon always strikes the right balance between highlighting the frustration and the highs that come with parenting. It's a nice little "oh thank goodness it's not just me!" reminder when you need the pick-me-up. Raising kids is fricking hard and Gordon's work reminds us that sometimes you have to laugh at the absurdities to get to the good stuff.


I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The most honest look at parenting I've ever seen. Plus it's hilarious! The language is pretty adult, but my kids enjoy this as much as I do.

I especially like the comics where I can point out that is how they act. Kind of a fun way to say, "see how silly that is???"

There was a comic in here where a mom was saying her son won't eat meat anymore. I'm living that reality. All they could come up with is the kids must be messing with her. And I thought, "yup, that makes sense!"

I read this one night after putting my kids to bed, I had to keep choking back the laughter so I wouldn't wake them up. I think I sounded like an air mattress with a slow leak - lol.

You do not need to read the first book to read this one. It completely stands alone, most of them comics are stand alone. It's more of a collection, not a set story line. But I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a laugh.

This book had me laughing out loud! I loved all of it. And parents can relate to each of them. They are spot-on! I think kids, especially teens, could also relate to this. If you are having a bad day, this will fix it! I loved it!

So THAT'S where that "Well, I gave it my best shot" comic came from! I wasn't familiar with Brian Gordon's work apart from that one viral comic prior to reading this volume, but his fame is relatively well-deserved - and likely particularly easy to relate to for parents. (I imagine, not being a parent myself.) I do think that some of his comics would be better served by ending before the stand-alone panel that follows some of them, but that's just me.

Yep. These comics are my favorite thing to give to parents of young children, but only after I know they're ready for it. This usually happens around the first time I see eyes twitching. This second collection is still funny, and still gets everything right on the nose.

This is Brian Gordon's second book of funny cartoons about parenting based on his cute and quirky duck family.

Readers will probably be most familiar with the series due to the number of these images that have gone viral on Facebook, and it is easy to see why these cartoons have struck a chord with parents across the world. The father duck is seen struggling with many aspects of parenthood familiar to us all, such as how you can love your kids so much, yet still be driven crazy by them regularly! This is a set of cartoons that cover issues such as squabbling siblings, demands for snacks (but not healthy ones) and other common annoyances (infinity = time taken to buckle a car seat when you are running late is a recognisable one for me!) Any parent will find something here they have experienced.

A fun and enjoyable read for new parents and old hands alike.

I follow Gordon on Instagram and love his comic. This compilation is no different. Hilarious anecdotes about the joys and pains (mostly pains) of raising kids. Even if you don't have a child yourself, this is highly relatable if you have siblings or friends with children. I laughed the whole way through.

Brian Gordon's comics are laugh-out-loud funny, and so true. I enjoyed the many comics that are new to this book (as I've already enjoyed all of the ones on the Fowl Language website). Note to parents: this is a book for adults and it includes some language you may not want your children to learn. Honestly, I could do without the cursing, but the humor is still wonderful.