Title: The Toddler Survival Guide



Author: Mike and Heather Spohr



Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Parenting, Toddlers, Survival Guide.



Plot: Statistically speaking, you are more likely to meet a ravenous sleep-deprived toddler than you are to meet an undead zombie but both creatures can be terrifying and very dangerous. It is best to proceed with caution and keep your handy guide near you at all times.



In a hilarious parody of all survival guides but especially zombie survival guides, The Toddler Survival Guide is the parenting book every parent needs. Parenting can be truly fulfilling but bone-crushingly hard at the same time and a healthy dose of humor is the secret to weathering all the toddler-themed storms.



Likes/Dislikes: This book is hilarious! It makes the best kind of Father's Day gift for new modern dads which is awesome. No guarantees if they will actually have the time to read it before baby eats it though.



Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.



Date Reviewed: January 15th, 2020



I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

Ha! I love this book! My kid is long grown up, but I can still remember the terrible two quite clearly! Looking back I can simultaneously shudder and laugh at the memories of those days! This book is like that! It brings back the memories and, as I now am beginning to be surrounded by toddlers, I can vicariously live those years again and step in and help the poor parents of the toddler. This is going to make a great gift for those parents. I think they need a good laugh with all they are going to experience over the next next year or two! Yes, toddlers are a LOT like zombies, Good job Spohrs!
I received a free Kindle copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Appropriately short for frazzled, worn out parents of toddlers, The Toddler Survival Guide is laugh-out-loud funny. Any parent with a (or multiple--yikes!) toddler(s) will find themselves nodding and laughing along with all of the statements the Spohrs make.

The book walks you through the top tips of eating, bedtime, teeth brushing, potty training, tantrums, and more. I didn't find that it gave any awesome, never before thought of tips. Most of us parents have already blundered through enough of the toddler months that we know most of these instinctually. However, this is less about being a "how to" and all about how to come out the other end of the Toddler Apocalypse with some of our humor intact knowing that we are not alone. (No, really I needed to know that it was normal to have a toddler consistently remove their diaper and still refuse to sit on the potty. Y'all. The struggle is absolutely real.)

Thank you to NetGalley, the Spohrs, and Voyageur Press for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Toddler Survival Guide reads like a doomsday zombie survival guide. From discussions on eating, tantrums, and everything in between, this book runs the gamut on toddler care.


The Toddler Survival Guide has a lot of funny moments. The descriptions of toddlers in the throes of tantrums made me laugh. Anyone who has watched a toddler throw a tantrum knows that reasoning with them at that point is futile. The authors’ descriptions were amusing and made me thankful that my children are pretty well-mannered.


While this book was a cute novelty book, it’s not something I’d purchase for anyone, expectant parents or otherwise. This book was heavy on drama, but short on useful information. A certain amount of exaggeration is to be expected for a toddler survival guide, but for me, it was overkill. With two kids of my own, one well past the toddler years, I didn’t find the book very relatable. My kids are either absolute angels (unlikely), or this book was truly over the top. I was expecting more useful information intermixed with the stories of toddler terrors, so in that regard, I was disappointed.


Again, this book was entertaining. It was a quick read that made me laugh. So if you’re looking for a funny novelty book on parenting, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for practical information, keep on walking.


Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Look for this review on my blog on Saturday, November 25th.

This is a hilarious zombie survival guide parody! As a mom of two, I can relate to so many things in this book! This is a great, funny read for when your little angels are acting more like little devils!