Rating: 
Summary: a brave topic with a brave heroine
Review: 35-year-old Ellen Franck loves a man who is everything to her but a lover -- his son died of leukemia years ago, his wife left him shortly afterwards and the antidepressants prevent him from having sex. Ellen understands this but hears her biological clock ticking away as everyone around her (boss, sister, old high school enemies) is popping out babies with alarming speed.Ellen adores her niece Nicole and would do anything to have one of her own. She meets Amy Jacobs, a girl whom she thought had it together in high school, who is also in her own unfulfilling, non-baby-oriented relationship. They decide that in 9 months they will make a move in some direction rather than keep waiting for things to happen to them. For Ellen, it is looking up sperm bank donors. But she also has to tackle the issues of having a child alone -- financial, emotional, childcare, etc. To her credit, Zigman doesn't make Ellen goofy and a pain like so many other authors would have done. I liked her a lot, she seriously contemplated having a child and keeping her relationship with a man who didn't want any more children thoughtfully, instead of selfishly. The book is still fun to read, you feel like you actually know Ellen, and that you could in fact BE her. This is one of the better "chick" books out there!
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Summary: A woman I can relate to...
Review: This book gives one of the most realistic views into the mind and heart of a thirtysomething professional woman I've read in a long time. Ellen faces the sometimes harsh, sometimes bittersweet situations that a single woman whose friends are mostly married and have or are going to have children in a way that I find very realistic. Sometimes you're jealous because your life hasn't seemed to work out in the same way, sometimes you're happy for your friends because they've achieved what makes them happy, and there's everything in between. This book did a good job of capturing the whole spectrum of emotions that can arise. In the end, this book was a good reminder to me that life takes equal parts of pursuing what you want and being patient for things to come out as they are meant to.
Rating: 
Summary: A light, amusing read
Review: Ms. Zigman has written an entertaining story of a 35 year old savvy, sophisticated New York woman who so urgently needs to have a child of her own, she spends the entire 200+ pages working toward this goal. This novel will resonate with many women in their 30s who are racing against time. But, in the end, Zigman caves in to pre-feminism mores and finishes up with a cookie-cutter, wrapped-up-in-a-nice-neat-package conclusion.
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Summary: Silly
Review: This was a silly and childish book. The author should really revamp before venturing onto the writing scene again.
Rating: 
Summary: I laughed all the way home!
Review: As a commuter, I was looking for something fun to enliven the hours of highway bumper tag. At the suggestion of a friend, I purchased the Audio Tape of Dating Big Bird. I loved it so much, I have to actually read it while my much listened to Audio CD is being passed around from one friend to another. Ellen Franck is a real, vivid and immensely funny character. Ellen is not overly bitter or pitying. Ms. Zigman keeps Ellen out of the pity pool and in turn, makes Ellen's exploration of the life of a single, thirty something mommy wannabe very real, funny and endearing. I could totally relate to Ellen's own inner struggle and her relationships with family and friends. Basically, I loved this book and the fact that it makes you laugh at a subject that very easily could make one cry. My only disappointment is the ending, but then again there is always hope for a sequel.
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Summary: Zigman zings us with laughter and warmth
Review: Dating Big Bird is a delightful read about a woman's quest for a child. Ellen Franck is in a loving but frozen relationship with Malcolm, a divorced father who lost his only child to leukemia. At 35, Ellen wonders if she will ever be able to have a baby. It certainly doesn't help that every woman she knows is a mother or mother-to-be. That is, except for Amy, an old high school acquaintance Ellen runs into on the streets of New York. The two begin a friendship and wade through intracacies of their own lacking relationships and desires for more. Ellen is supported by a wonderful cast of characters who are both hysterical and endearing. You will want to pick up this quick, funny and heartwarming read to discover Ellen's fate. By the end of the book Ellen learns, and we are reminded, that life happens when you begin living it.
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Summary: Entertaining enough but missing something...
Review: Dating Big Bird revolves around a single woman Ellen Franck who desperately wants to have a baby and her decision whether or not to do it on her own or to wait and find 'Mr. Right.' There's a lot that's good about it and funny, warm and entertaining. But despite all that I did like, there seemed to be something missing, some dynamic that made it feel somewhat flimsy and light even though it had great potential. Ellen is not alone in her insatiable baby quest. She encounters an old high-school rival who is pretending that her sibling's baby is her own, something Ellen often fantasizes about with her own niece. Together, the two pledge that they will decide what to do about their baby lust at the end of the nine months and then take the necessary steps to achieve it. Along the way, Ellen's romantic life takes twists and turns as does her professional one and a cast of supporting characters, some more interesting than others, dart in and out. The title comes from Ellen's realization that Big Bird, the sensitive, lovable bird from Sesame Street, really is the perfect father. It's an interesting enough idea, and the execution is fine, decently written with some really funny moments. But ultimately, I found it unsatisfying, too neat and contrived. That's expected in the genre to some extent yet the glimpses Zigman offered of sharper edges made me hope, I suppose, for a little less shmarm. Still, it's a nice enough way to spend a few hours, as long as you're not expecting a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and Funny
Review: "Dating Big Bird" is a funny look at woman and mothers, and how the two can (and can't) co-exist in today's world. In Laura Zigman's second novel, the old sterotype is most definitely true: Women who have careers want kids and women who have fabulous careers, like narrator Ellen, long for children of their own--the only problem, finding the right father. Or do you even need a father (i.e. your very own "Big Bird," as in Sesame Street, to love and take care of you and the proposed little one)? Or do you even need the kid? Zigman makes the whole motherhood/career/relationship struggle very funny and emminently readable. Zigman doesn't break any new ground in "Dating Big Bird" and the ending is far too pat, but the entire story is funny, fast-paced and entertaining. Mommies and single gals alike will recognize the characters, even if they are a bit cliched. (Cliches are cliches for a reason--they're often true.)
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Summary: Funny, funny book!
Review: I picked this book up yesterday just because the title struck me as funny... I couldn't put it down. Dating Big Bird is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. It's a great summer read; whether you like fluff or deep literary tomes, you'll enjoy this book quite a bit.
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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: My book club had read "Animal Husbandry" by Ms. Zigman and I truly enjoyed it. That's what led me to read "Dating Big Bird." Well, this author is two for two in my book. This book was so easy to enjoy. From her descriptions of Ellen's interactions with "the Pickle" to her interactions and observations with and of her coworkers and friends, one can really identify with Ms. Zigman's heroine. I'm looking forward to another great book from this terrific author.
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