Title: Goth Parenting: The Dark Joys of Raising Baby BatsAuthor: Casey Gilly, Robin Robinson
First Published: September 3, 2024
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 96
Genre: Humor, Non-Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Rating:
Synopsis:
From the cradle bars to pre-preteen goo goo mucks, Goth Parenting is an illustrated humor book with heart for families who do things a little differently.
Your local mall goths and graveyard lurkers experience the same milestones of parenthood as anyone else. Goths just do it with a little extra style and more Edgar Allan Poe references.
Goth Parenting takes you from a baby bat’s very earliest days through age seven, illustrating parents’ memorable moments, challenges, and rewards along the way. Like figuring out how to child-proof your tomb sweet tomb, what to feed a toddler to make sure they live deliciously, and how to cope if your little monster doesn’t wish every day was Halloween.
Whether your gashlycrumb tiny is a ball of darkness like you or a little ray of sunshine, there’s something here for every alternative parent. Because being a goth parent is about more than just Victorian accessories and black clothing—it’s about acceptance, love, and always being yourself. And also black clothing.
CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS GOTH: The funny, gentle advice is peppered with instantly recognizable references, from Dracula to Edward Gorey to The Sisters of Mercy.
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED ALT PARENTING BOOK: Cute and colorful pictures illustrate diverse, loving goth families on every page.
GREAT GIFT: Super-relatable moments make this an ideal present for goths at any stage of their parenting adventures. Wrap in a sheet of skull floral paper for baby shower, birthday, or stocking stuffer gift-giving to moms, dads, or couples.
Perfect for:
Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and caretakers with an offbeat sense of humor
Kids of goth parents looking for a Mother's Day, Father's Day, or birthday present
Gen X mall goths, alternative millennials, and older Gen Zers starting families
Goths, punks, witches, graveyard lurkers, reformed Hot Topic teens, proud emo crybabies, and anyone who admires the goth aesthetic and lifestyle
Fans of My Chemical Romance, The Addams Family, and Netflix’s Wednesday reboot
Review
Goth Parenting is a practical guide for new parents on what to expect with their first child… But goth flavored. The book goes from infancy to age seven. Each page gives a nugget of wisdom and includes fun illustrations. There is a fair amount of goth humor and the tone is gentle and playful, even when addressing less pleasant topics.
I appreciated that the book made common advice fun and included some less common topics, such as fitting in with other (normie) parents, being supportive of your child’s developing self-expression (even if it doesn’t match your own aesthetic), or acknowledging imaginary friends.
The graphic design of this little book is thoughtful and the illustrations are great. There are pop culture references peppered throughout that were cute, like Beetlejuice, Welcome to the Black Parade, and The Shining. Goth Parenting is an adorable little book that would make a wonderful gift, and the brevity of the text makes it far easier to digest than other parenting guides.
Quote
“As a goth parent, you likely have stylized, curated, beautiful plans for how to make the season extra special… but are those plans inclusive of your imp?”
About the Authors
About Casey Gilly
Casey Gilly is a comics writer, horror fan, and mother to a small goblin. The first two prepared her for the third. She resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes comics including Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer, My Little Pony, Archie Horror, and Dungeons and Dragons: Ravenloft, as well as tarot decks, and more. She was, is, and always will be Extremely, Embarrassingly, Goth.
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