(Given to me for an Honest Review.) Mary Mary Quite On Raising Children (And Other Mind-Altering Substances) is such a must read, you'll find yourself re-reading it over and over again. This book will grab you from page one and hang on to you until the end. There are stories about raising children, according to Mary Mary Quite and her husband Hunk. After reading each story you will realize that although there are some truths in the stories, they are subtle. This book is hilarious and fun. Really a unique book. I loved it. One of my favorite chapters was "On Getting Organized." I gave this book 5 stars, but it clearly deserves many more. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you need some laughter around you. I look forward to more from Mary Huckstep.

The writing of Mary Mary Quite is not contrary to your having a good time. (I just had to say that.) This book is very amusing, especially if you have been a parent, a profession that no one can prepare for because everyone has a different experience. There are episodes of cleaning the messy room, attempting to prepare a home-cooked meal, battling an invasion of ants, and examples of the inherent conflict between parents and their children.
The author includes the father and husband, a.k.a. “Old Hunk” in her descriptions of the challenging adventures in her life. One of my favorites is “MMQ: On Springtime,” a rendition of the first season of t-ball. I coached many youth sports as my daughter was growing up, t-ball, basketball, soccer and softball. There is nothing more entertaining than seeing a collection of children playing a sport for the first time and the adjustments coaches have to make based on their skill levels. The author captures these magic moments, the organized chaos that is a t-ball game.
Everyone that has been through the parenting experience to roughly the age of the child turning 21 will have experienced the delightful “trauma” of the life of Mary Mary. She made some compromises, discovering that putting a child on a leash is not as ridiculous as she had thought earlier. Particularly when the child is faster than you are and can get a running start, the more imaginative child can find danger when no reasonable person could.
Amusing throughout, this book relies on a few stereotypes regarding gender roles, such as the wife store versus the Scratch and Dent Warehouse and boys being smashers while girls are dainty. Her conclusive evidence is the boys’ use of doll carriages with occupants to enact violent collisions. Mary Mary’s wit reminded me of Erma Bombeck, in that the stories are probably only funny when you survive to write about them some time after they happened.

This book was made available for free for review purposes and this review was first posted on Amazon.

Many smiles of recognition are likely for readers trolling through this collection of short humorous essays by a creative wife and mother who spots and extracts the amusing essence of everyday experiences and distills them into amusing episodes. The less than reverent stories are superbly illustrated with a sort of mad flair. The writing is fresh and breezy, with catchy and credible dialogue that captures whatever semi-zany moment may be involved. Many of the joys and difficulties of family life, while comically expressed, ring unerringly true. A touching poem at the end rounds out the more imaginative parts of this over-sized book. The front cover is lively, and certain to attract attention.