I Thought Labor Ended When The Baby Was Born

Cartoons provide a humorous view of the frustrations and rewards of parenthood as first-time parents Wanda and Darryl adjust to life with their infant daughter Zoe.

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK * INDIE NEXT SELECTION * LIBRARY READS SELECTION * AMAZON EDITORS' CHOICE * WASHINGTON POST BEST OF THE YEAR The "terrifying, wise, tender, and thrilling" (R.O. Kwon) adventure story of a fugitive girl, a mysterious gang of robbers, and their dangerous mission to transform the Wild West. In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw. The day of her wedding, 17 year old Ada's life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows. She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose, and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she's willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all. Featuring an irresistibly no-nonsense, courageous, and determined heroine, Outlawed dusts off the myth of the old West and reignites the glimmering promise of the frontier with an entirely new set of feminist stakes. Anna North has crafted a pulse-racing, page-turning saga about the search for hope in the wake of death, and for truth in a climate of small-mindedness and fear.

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." --Author Emilie Buchwald Filled with beautifully illustrated reviews and a wealth of recommendations, A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics lovingly and thoughtfully reveals a world of graphic novels sure to capture the imagination and curiosity of your child. Children's literature experts and library professionals Scott Robins and Snow Wildsmith select and review 100 age-appropriate books, and recommend another 750 titles for children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade in this full-color, first-of-its-kind guide. You'll also find an educator's bibliography, website recommendations, and a bounty of resources to make this magical journey informative as well as delightful. Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer, producers of the highly acclaimed and award-winning Bone series, provide a Foreword for the book.

"Baby Blues us one of the truest and funniest accounts of raising a baby every to grace the comics page." --Lynn Johnston, creator of For Better or For Worse Now that Wanda and Darryl are pregnant again, the doting parents will be getting the baby clothes out of the attic, preparing Zoe to be a big sister, and just trying to cope with it all! In this installment from Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, the MacPhersons deliver humor at its family-oriented best. Juggling the demands of job, home, and a baby on the way, the fatigued Wanda and Darryl have the added challenge of Zoe as she becomes a mobile toddler. She walks, she talks, and she's obsessed with the Whistling Monkey Cowboy Band! Like the millions of new parents who have embraced this engaging strip, the MacPhersons have found parenthood both fulfilling and frustrating. Exhausted parents everywhere are enthralled with this on-the-go couple who manage their careers and child-rearing. Mothers love Baby Blues because they know all too well how Wanda's days have changed, from career woman to Mom, especially as she prepares to add another bundle of joy to the MacPhersons' already busy household. Dads nod in recognition as Darryl tries to help out and hold down a demanding job. Everyone cherishes little Zoe for making adorable even the most exasperating childhood antics. Artist Kirkman and writer Scott obviously know about parenting. You can see it in every installment of the clever, true-to-life strip they create, from accidentally losing Zoe at the mall, to listening in on baby monitors with crossed signals.

Their life is hectic, filled with terrible twos, teething, and temper tantrums... but Darryl and Wanda wouldn't have it any other way! Since 1990, the MacPhersons have staked their engaging claim on the comics page with their realistically wild-eyed and worn-down reaction to parenting. We watched as Wanda gave up her job to be a stay-at-home mom, wondered how the couple would handle countless sleepless nights, and laughed when they unexpectedly found themselves expecting. Now, as Zoe grows into a walking, talking toddler and newborn Hamish learns how to roll over, the couple's pride, joy, and exhaustion reaches even greater heights. Winners of the National Cartoonists Society's Best Comic Strip of the Year for 1995, Baby Blues creators Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott continue to entertain readers around the worlds. "If there's one service that we provide, it's to let parents know that they're not alone," says Kirkman. "I think it's comforting for readers to know that no matter how unmanageable life can get for them, Darryl and Wanda probably have it worse," adds Scott. One More and We're Outnumbered! Follows parenthood classics such as I saw Elvis in My Ultrasound, Guess Who Didn't Take a Nap? and I Thought Labor Ended When the Baby Was Born. Through them all, endearing illustrations and dead-on dialogue provoke laughs of recognition and keep fans clamoring for more.

Is it possible for the MacPherson kids to get any cuter? Zoe excitedly dipping water from the toilet to serve her daddy ""tea."" Hamish rolling efficiently across the floor instead of crawling. And Darryl and Wanda watching all their antics in worn-out wonder! Who hasn't experienced, or at least witnessed, that final humiliated plea for the check after a restaurant is turned into a war zone by active kids? Well, Darryl and Wanda are there now.

A cartoon collection which captures the true dichotomy found in parenting - never-ending mayhem concerning toys & vegetable consumption coupled with undying love for the creature who just smeared lipstick on her baby brother.