Dorky Mom Doodles Don't Lick That Book Review

Jimmy Valvano said that if you laugh, cry, and think all in one day then that’s a heck of a day.

I couldn’t agree more. And if I then get to write things that make me do all that, even better. ‘Tis the case with this book review post of Don’t Lick That by Erika Watts.

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Who’s That Lady?

Erika Watts is a mom, freelance writer, creator of the blog Dorky Mom Doodles, and author of Don’t Lick That. Released in November 2018, Don’t Lick That is a parenting humor book full of heart and ridiculousness based on Erika’s blog.

Erika is also my very first writer friend and I’ve latched onto her like a barnacle. Her writing style is gloriously self-deprecating and we’ve bonded over not taking ourselves too seriously. She has introduced me to new blogs and writers and led by example when she takes chances and puts herself out there. Ugh, you guys… this lady rocks.

In Don’t Lick That, Erika’s hilarious stories about parenthood are accompanied by delightful drawings of herself and her family. She’ll tell you the drawings are bad, I’ll tell you that they should be in a museum. Particularly this drawing of Baby Howie that didn’t make it into the book but is featured in my guest Dorky Mom Doodles post from summer 2017.

Two Enthusiastic Thumbs Up

This fall I got a sneak peek of Don’t Lick That before it was published, and I wrote a little blurb for the intro. Here’s what I wrote:

Erika Watts is the queen of laughing in the face of all things challenging, ridiculous, and super gross that come along with parenthood. In Don’t Lick That, she weaves together stories that will make parents nod their heads in solidarity and then wipe laugh tears from their eyes, because as witty as Erika is, her kids MIGHT be even funnier.

If you are raising small humans and could use a good reminder that this parenting gig is pretty darn hilarious, you need this book.

If you enjoy people who don’t take themselves too seriously because life is a lot more entertaining that way, you need this book.

Most importantly, if you are a supporter of the arts, both the written and doodled variety, you need this book. Perhaps buy two copies so that you can rip the doodles out of one and wallpaper your home with them.

I firmly stand by this opinion.

The Writing Sweet Spot

Here’s where I’m going to get a little sappy, which would probably make Erika laugh at me and tell me I’m ridiculous. But I think my hormones are out of balance right now so I can’t be held responsible for this.

Come at me, Erika! (And bring chocolate.)

The thing is, I know that writing this book was a big goal for Erika. It’s a big goal for many people who put pen to paper or fingers to keyboards. Most of us in the writing community are big old book nerds at heart, and seeing our own name on the binding of a book is a huge flippin deal.

So as a friend, I’m so happy for Erika and the success of her book. And as a career coach, I’m beyond thrilled that Erika has found this path for herself and is building a career doing something she loves. She has found her sweet spot, and the world gets to benefit from it.

So… many… feelings…