Book review: 'Wine Makes Mommy Clever'

I despise those little novelty books with funny illustrations and uplifting sayings, but the title of the forthcoming “Wine Makes Mommy Clever” (Chronicle, $8.95) made me curious. There’s a good reason I and 651,640 others are fans of the Moms Who Need Wine page on Facebook.

The book really isn’t about moms who like some chardonnay on a night out with the girls, but about the sometimes quirky ways we behave in the modern world. I like this one best: “Ex-boyfriends make mommy feel awkward yet somehow still admired.” Other observations sort of ring true (except for getting unlimited pleasure from looking at cute kitten photos on the web), but are not quite saucy enough for this mother.

But author/artist Andy Riley’s companion “Beer Makes Daddy Strong” — again, not so much about drinking beer as being a father today — is really off, unless the reader gains enjoyment in painting the American male as a hapless, ineffective, unattractive, unmasculine mess. Nope — my hubs likes spicy food and didn’t cry at “Toy Story 3.”