The Ugly Guide to Being Alive and Staying That Way (Uglydolls)

Everyone likes to be alive, right? Everyone likes to stay that way? Good! Having established that important fact, let's turn to David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim's Ugly Guide to Being Alive and Staying That Way. Don't be put off by the fact that this book and previous titles in the series are based on the Ugly Dolls--Horvath and Kim easily transfer the humor and good-hearted grotesquery of their doll creations into their books. And maybe I'm just an Ugly Doll acolyte, but even though the series is meant for younger readers, I really enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek advice for life, from birth to adulthood. After-college time is also known as "move-back-home" time. When it's time to buy a home, be aware that every house in the UglyVerse is haunted, "but not to worry. You'll probably get along fine with your special guest." In addition to the stages of life, topics like stress, fear, and "life's ugly mysteries" are also covered. The full-cover art is bright, cheery, and fun.

Horvath and Kim's story is just as cheery--they met in design school, fell in love, created the Ugly Dolls, and thus far have lived happily ever after.

The bottom line? The Ugly Guide to Being Alive is the kind of illustrative narrative you'll get a kick out of even as you're sharing it with your kids. --Jeff VanderMeer