cover image Father's Day:: Notes from a Dad in the Real World

Father's Day:: Notes from a Dad in the Real World

Bill McCoy, William McCoy. Crown Publishers, $22 (175pp) ISBN 978-0-8129-2405-3

This unpretentious and winning book comes from a father who is gaga about his two-year-old daughter. McCoy, a senior editor at Parents magazine, regrets having wanted a son to the point that, if he and wife Sharon have a second child, he'd be delighted to have another girl. And he tells exactly how the presence of Amanda has changed his relationship with Sharon and caused major revisions in his thinking: he's now for Tipper Gore's campaign to label rock albums; at a remove of 35 years, Ozzie Nelson looks like a good paternal role model. He considers himself more than competent as a nurturer and wishes he had more time to spend enjoying Amanda's company. He delights in her first effort at sharing and marvels at her self-reliance in handling herself with her playmate Max. It is all very real, occasionally humorous and occasionally very affecting, heartily recommended to all fathers. First serial to Parents magazine; author tour. (June)