Dummy: The Comedy and Chaos of Real-Life Parenting

Matt Coyne's honest Facebook post about life three months after his son Charlie was born went viral, became the Man vs Baby blog, and then became this Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. Dummy is a laugh-out-loud account of becoming a dad, from 'Profanity Bingo' in labour to a categorisation of nappy disasters.

Why Dad Recommends It

Most parenting books tell you what to do. This one, from a British dad, simply tells you what it's really like, and I think that's exactly why so many dads connect with it. Matt Coyne is very funny about the sleep deprivation, the nappies and the feeling that nobody really knows what they're doing. Underneath the jokes, it's also a heartfelt book about how becoming a parent changes you, which his publisher sums up as 'a kind of beautiful insanity'. It doesn't pretend to be a manual. The advice, in the publisher's own words, is 'completely impractical'. But for a new dad who feels out of his depth, it's a reminder that he's not alone. This would be my pick as a gift for a mate who's about to become a dad.

What Children Can Learn

This one is for the grown-ups. Children benefit from a dad who feels less alone and more relaxed, and who can laugh at the chaos instead of being overwhelmed by it.

What Parents Can Take From It

The main takeaway is perspective: the early months are messy for everyone, and laughing about it, together with your partner, helps. It's easy to read in short bursts, which is handy when you're running on very little sleep. It also makes a good gift to share with a partner, as it shows the early days from a dad's side. A quick heads-up: the humour is grown-up and the language is strong in places, so this one is strictly for the bookshelf, not bedtime.