Bedtime books make up a classic part of children’s picture books. Pages filled with sleepy animals and pajama-clad children are commonly found in most children’s libraries, whether public or personal. But Adam Mansbach wanted to write a different kind of book – one that more closely fit his experiences as a parent. And so a new children’s book was born: Go the Fuck to Sleep.
What is there that’s left to say about this title? I’ve now read the book and saw it as one man’s descent into near-madness (or the end-of-the-day equivalent) as he struggles to keep his life together. He begs, he pleads, he takes a hard stance, tries giving in, gives up, and just when it looks like he might have succeeded he finds himself starting the cycle once again. Just to be clear: it’s not a children’s book; it’s a book about children. After the initial buzz about the book, I haven’t heard too much about how it’s been received. I think that people will likely either love the joke or hate it, with a smaller percentage of those who are just indifferent. The book is interesting, too, as a slice of modern society. I’ve read many different commentaries on it, including the question of what would be different if a woman wrote the book. For added fun, try the Samuel L. Jackson-narrated audiobook recording.
Read it with:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman and Eric Metaxes
The End of the Jews by Adam Mansbach
It’s Just a Plant by Ricardo Cortés
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