Reviewed
by Nikki M Heath
Any
parent who grew up in the 1980s will open this book with a sense of
anticipatory glee. In fact, it feels like parents are the target audience of
this book; at the very least, there’s a big wink in their direction.
Nevertheless, kids will love the opportunity to share their parents’ stories of
growing up in that strange decade.
The
prose is written from the point of view of a child whose 30 or 40-something
parents have been telling him stories of their childhood, and the tone conveys
the narrator’s amusement and incredulity. The book covers topics from fashion
and technology to music and slang. There are the typical references from that
decade, like shoulder pads and boom boxes, but also some things parents
probably haven’t thought about for some time. Anyone remember the TV show Perfect Match?
Splashed
with neon colours, the bold, graphic illustrations provide layers detail and
context, not just explaining but also enriching the text. Children and parents
will have fun exploring the objects scattered across each spread, from
hard-copy encyclopedias to floppy discs, slinkies and troll dolls.
A
nostalgic walk down memory lane for parents, and an amusing pop cultural
history for kids, this book will be a wonderful sharing experience for kids
aged 7-plus and their parents. As the book’s final page points out (illustrated
by the narrator’s parents executing a certain iconic Dirty Dancing pose in the backyard pool), the kids will finally
understand why we’re so weird.
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