I seem to be entering a lot of write-offs lately, but just couldn’t resist when Stephen_Murray posted that he was hosting a Minnesota w/o to commemorate the birthday of Sinclair Lewis. The problem, however, was what to do the review on.

I first looked at Children’s Books on line from our library, but nothing seemed as if it would fit. I really wanted a book that I could read to my daycare children…but, there just didn’t seem to be anything available that fit the criteria.

Finally, I found a book that looked cute and comical and as if it would fit into the write-off in a big way.

You Know You’re a Minnesotan if……. The title made me think of Jeff Foxworthy’s You Know You’re a Redneck if…. and I’ve thought that a lot of what he had to say was humorous so I was anxious to get my hands on this book and read it.

The Story

This book, isn’t a story, but rather short cartoon quips about what it is like to be a Minnesotan. I found myself laughing at times and wondering if ex Minnesotan Stephen would recognize himself in some of these little gems.

You know you’re a Minnesotan if…You don’t zip your parka hood until it really cold (-70 windchill).

You know you’re a Minnesotan if……you have a hard time telling the sex of a person in the winter.

You know you’re a Minnesotan if…you know the only way to get a snow plow to plow your street is to spend two hours shoveling your driveway. (This holds true for Wisconsin too!)

Now not all of the quips are about weather. There is a section about food, including **lutefisk.
You know you’re a Minnesotan if…you get high on lutefisk.

A section about fishing and hunting.
You know you’re a Minnesotan if…you think you’ve helped the family food budget by bringing home a couple of ducks from a $800 hunting trip.

Sports is fair game as well.
You know you’re a Minnesotan if……you see one deer on the highway there are likely more to follow. In the same way, if you see one cheesehead, chances are there are likely more to follow. (I especially laughed at this one. Being from Wisconsin…being called a cheesehead can actually be a term of endearment…right Stephen?)

Other humorous sections that are included are: Religion, Weight, Social, On the Road, Family and finally the all encompassing Miscellaneous category.

The Illustrations

As I said, these are cartoons so the illustrations are a simple, yet comical pen/pencil drawings. Each page includes some little flourish to draw the reader’s eye and are good for a chuckle.

Included on the page about weather is a cartoon drawing of two men using snow blowers…..the only problem is they are walking toward each other and blowing the snow onto each others property.

One of the cartoons that I especially liked is a full page drawing of a car on a highway. On the side of the road is sign that says Twin Cities and above the car on a bridge are two signs with arrows pointing in the opposite directions. One of the signs says Lutherans and the other says Catholics. Living in Wisconsin, I can tell you that these are the prominent two religions of the area.

I was happy that while each little quip started with You Know You’re a Minnesotan if…. the punch line was written in bold so you could just read those and they were easily viewed on the page.

My Feelings

While this isn’t the funniest book I’ve ever read, it was good for a chuckle or two. Also having only lived in the Midwest for three years, I can now relate to some of this humor, in a way I don’t think I could have while living in California, so not everyone will ‘get it.’

The author, Ed Fischer, has a lot of pride to be a Minnesotan and it shows in this book. I like that his attitude is one of, while we may be a little silly at times, we’re able to laugh at ourselves.

His feeling of Minnesotan’s being a very nice people shows up on the front cover of this book as an older woman, who is having her purse stolen asks the robber to wait until she can clean it. I enjoyed the enthusiasm for one’s home state that this book showed.

There are no big belly laughs, but this book was good for some nice chuckles and a few, “honey, listen to this one” from me. My hubby especially related to the snow plow coming after he had just shoveled the driveway….it happened yesterday. Poor guy.

Nuts & Bolts

You Know You’re a Minnesotan if… was written and illustrated by Ed Fischer and was published in 1999 by Adventure Publications. Mr. Fischer began his cartoon career at the Minneapolis Star and his cartoons have been published in Time, Newsweek and Christianity Today.

This short 100 page paperback book is written in cartoon style for adults who like to laugh. Mr. Fischer has also written several other cartoon books including Lutefisk Buffet, The Ventura Era, and What’s Funny About Getting Old?

The jacket price is $6.95 and well worth it for anyone who likes to chuckle about the human condition.

ISBN:1-885061-62-5

**

lut·fisk (lootfisk)
n.
A traditional Scandinavian dish prepared by soaking air-dried cod in a lye solution for several weeks before skinning, boning, and boiling it, a process that gives the dish its characteristic gelatinous consistency.



Recommended: Yes