Be the Coolest Dad on the Block: All of the Tricks, Games, Puzzles and Jokes You Need to Impress Your Kids (and keep them entertained for years to come!) (Paperback)

~ Simon Rose (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: rubber band ball, Ping Pong, Dibble Ibbles, Silly Putty (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Filled with stuff that delighted my kids. (They) cram an awful lot of great ideas into 186 pages." -- Mark Frauenfelder, boingboing.net

Product Description

An all-encompassing guide to entertaining, amazing, and possibly even educating children, Be the Coolest Dad on the Block provides the perfect excuse to stand on a balloon, play with grated cheese in the microwave, and unroll an entire roll of toilet paper, all in the name of spending time with your kids.

Written by a comedy writer and a cartoonist with thirty years’ combined experience as dads, Be the Coolest Dad on the Block is a cornucopia of practical parenting advice, like how to skip stones or teach a kid to ride a bike. It has answers to the pesky questions kids love, such as “Why is the sky blue?” or “Where do babies come from?” And it can help dads entertain large groups of kids with slapstick gags (“burp the alphabet”) or cool tricks (“the hole in the head”). Be the Coolest Dad on the Block also contains spooky myths for telling around the campfire and loads of quizzes and jokes for rainy days or endless car rides.

With a range of ideas to suit all situations and sensibilities, Be the Coolest Dad on the Block gives any dad the right stuff to be the wackiest and smartest guy in the room.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767922492
• ISBN-13: 978-0767922494
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,971 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate Father's Day gift!, May 10, 2006

By	An Amazon customer (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This is a very, very funny but also surprisingly useful book on how to entertain and amaze your little monsters. You might want to read it even if you don't have kids, for self-defense material the next time you're stuck in a room with a bored and complaining child. A perfect present for the dads you know (much better than a tie!).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for Dads!, May 17, 2006

By	A.M. Ramirez (Pleasanton, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I found this book extremely entertaining. Cleverly written and chock full of information, games, puzzles and facts that kept me reading and practicing the long lost art of engaging with and entertaining kids. If you would like to have your children put away the Nintendo in favor of some quality time that you will all enjoy, or if you are not a parent but would love to know the secret behind those magic tricks, pick up "Be The Coolest Dad On The Block".

4.0 out of 5 stars You Will Be A Cool Dad/Mom, August 17, 2009

By	Enrico C. Varella "Enrico Varella" (Singapore) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I enjoyed this book, thanks to a review I read in Genii magic magazine by Jon Racherbaumer. The readers' reviews here definitely shaped my buying decision. I enjoyed it on several levels:

1) I found activities I can use for team-building activities (Chapter 10: Fun & Games).
2) I found new reasons to do some of the magic tricks, even though I know them already (Chapter 2: batteries Not Included & Chapter 9: Puzzles , Tricks & Jokes).
3) I discovered ice-breakers that can be used in my classroom - and they are useful after lunch (clue: scissors, paper, stones)
4) The authors presented the information in a style that is easy to follow, and there are enough facts that will give you an edge if you ever appear on 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader?'
5) The games for road-trips are invaluable; something old, something new.

You can definitely use the material here, whether you are a teacher, corporate trainer or host of a party. Or, if you want to get back at your 10-year-old nephew with the smart riddles/puzzles. Go ahead - arm yourself with this book! This complements the copy of 'Emergency' by Neil Strauss.