Everything Is Awkward

by Mike Bender, Doug Chernack

The authors of the New York Times bestselling Awkward Family Photos franchise shine a light on the awkwardness of childhood. May cause uncontrollable laughter, snorting, and milk-spewing awkward moments for parents and kids alike.   Life isn’t perfect, and things don’t always go as planned. Like when you try to feed yourself and the food ends up all over your clothes. Or when you try to ride a bike and end up taking an epic spill. Or when you try to go potty and end up in the potty!   But laughing at ourselves makes it all a little easier, and a whole lot more entertaining. So go ahead and embrace all of life’s awkward moments. Because nobody’s perfect…but everyone’s awkward.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Photography, Storytime, Emotion, Childrens

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2016

About the author

Mike Bender is a screenwriter whose credits include "Not Another Teen Movie" and the MTV Movie Awards. He created the hit website AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com with childhood friend Doug Chernack in May 2009 after seeing an awkward vacation photo hung in his parent's house.

Reviews

[Lauren Canaday Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

yep, we're all awkward. best to celebrate it! ☺️

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

By no means is this a fine piece of literature, but that's okay.

If you're the kind of teacher who cherishes the "silent" in SSR, this is not the book you want on your shelves.

But if you want to get kids howling, laughing, reacting, and sharing, you can't do much better than a collection of family photos that are... awkward. There are photos of kids caught itching themselves in inappropriate places, dogs caught sniffing in inappropriate places, and kids posting rather questionably with vacuum cleaners. Again, not highbrow in the slightest, but a crowd-pleaser for sure.

I know teachers who have used this book to help kids develop precise language to describe some of the photos

[Hannah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sooo funny! I like this even better than the authors' previous books because of the wonderful message, which is all about embracing your awkward moments. They're what make us unique and adorable. They also give both ourselves and others a lot of joy.

[Children's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny book and makes a really good point about life and about being yourself. I read it with my students and they thought it was hilarious. The book features a bunch of different situations and how they can sometimes go wrong and that it’s ok because it happens to everyone. Nobody’s perfect and with a good attitude we can actually laugh about life’s awkward moments. I love the quote at the end “So you don’t have to be perfect you just have to be you.” Really enjoyed this book!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny book with funny photos and a nice message about being yourself, but probably not something I’d choose as a group read aloud with my 0-5 crowd. If you like Awkward Family Photos this could be your cup of tea!

[Viviane Elbee]

This concept book aims to introduce kids to the concept of awkward, using situations and photography to show things that are not quite perfect (and maybe a bit strange). Kids might giggle at some of the photos and there's a fair amount of potty humor.

[Laura Komos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me giggle! Since "awkward" is a word my nieces and I love, I'm excited to share this book with them.

[Ms. Jeane · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARIOUS!!!!! Love it! Probably more of a parent book but still love love loved it!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This preschooland book features real life pictures with statements about things that are not awkward and things that are. Totally relatable

[Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be giving awkward a new meaning but in a goodway. These picture are hard to to love.

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny!

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the candid, real-people pictures, that's the best part of the book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and silly book about how everyone has those not-so-good moments!

[Maeve]

Funny!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some cute and funny pictures, but there just isn't a whole lot of substance here.

[NayDoubleU · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick

Quick easy read with cute compare and contrast photos and statment. This book shows that those of us who embrace our awkwardness seem to have more fun

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed so hard at the pictures!!! So did my co-workers! The words are great too. A good pick-me-up when things get rough.

[Gia Bittner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t quite laugh yet but these pictures made me coo and screech!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute pictures.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Using real photos of kids in a variety of situations, we see what it means when the same situation takes on an awkward moment. Kids may like the "awkward" photos but a bit limited in its use.

[Dierdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect is boring and awkward is fun! From the authors of Awkward Family Photos. If you aren't a fan of that, you probably won't like this either. This book juxtaposes a "perfect" photograph of an activity with an awkward version next to it. It explains that it's ok for things to not always go as planned and it happens to everyone, parents included. The main message is to just be yourself. Kids will enjoy seeing the funny situations featuring photographs of real people. I know my family can relate to several of these pictures.

[Mrs. Melaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few books have made me laugh out loud the way this one did. Featuring photos of children and families, some of which are lovely and ordinary juxtaposed with others which are unusual, awkward, and hilarious. The text delivers a message that is always welcome to hear, that of accepting ourselves with all our imperfections. “Perfect is… well, kind of boring.” Starting with the endsheets, the photos will make you look twice; some are cringe-worthy, others are priceless. This is the kind of book that when they finish it, readers immediately want to share it with another person.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable--and often embarrassing photographs--show various family members when they are most awkward. Thus, there are images of real folks with food all over their faces and clothing, sleeping in odd and unflattering positions, stuck in a toilet, caught by a fish hook, wetting themselves, even one showing a would-be ballerina trying to pull her tights out of her butt crack. The book's message is very clear: Everyone has had an awkward moment or two at some point; luckily, some of us have escaped the indignity of having those moments captured on film. I have to confess that most of these made me laugh and smile sheepishly at my own attempts to maintain some semblance of dignity throughout my life. Fortunately for me, my parents never dressed me up in a watermelon or staked me to the tent while camping. Anyone in need of a good laugh should take a look at this book.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bender, Mike and Doug Chernack Everything is Awkward. PICTURE BOOK. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2016. $14.99. Content: G

This is a fun book that uses real photos to illustrate the awkward moments that can happen in life--falling in the toilet, strange family vacation moments, or face-planting off the playground slide. Its message to kids is that, "Hey! Life is less than perfect sometimes and that is okay!" and that is a message that a lot of kids need to hear. I really enjoyed this book. The photos are often laugh-out-loud hilarious and the message is really important. I think this is a great way to get kids talking about real life and learning to not be embarrassed about every little thing that happens. Kids of all ages will love it.

PRE-K, EL (K-3)--ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Janette Mcmahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super great photographs for you and your child to laugh together at! It's all about perfect versus awkward (things do happen). Also when you are done reading go to the author's website for more fun photographs. It will be a wonderful sharing opportunity with your child, as I am sure you will remember your own awkward photos/moments! Highly recommend!

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious photos of kids in situations where things did not go exactly to plan, contrasted with normal every day life. Text is simple and sympathetic, letting the pictures take the lead. No child or animal is spared the awkwardness! This would be a great gift.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure who the reader is for this book? I guess it's parents. I laughed and would likely give it to someone as a baby shower gift.

Full disclosure: I received this eARC through Edelweiss.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute photos but little substance beyond that.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, it was funny. But do awkward family photos really have to have a picture book?

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody is awkward.
And that's okay.