Seriously, Just Go to Sleep by Adam Mansbach illustrated by Ricardo Cortés

In 2011, a picture book had the whole publishing world talking. It was a book about bedtime called Go the Fuck to Sleep.It was a book about children, but as the title made very clear, it was not a book for children. It sold an incredible amount of copies (and the audiobook version was read by Samuel L. Jackson) and now the book is back - in a slightly different way. Am I surprised to see a 'clean' version of the original Go the Fuck to Sleep? No. When a book does as well as that one did, there are definitely going to be follow-ups in some way. And to tell the truth, I'm kind of happy to see this because it means that children will be able to fully explore the book. I'm fine with having books that are for adults (even in picture book form, which is usually when people start to freak out about language and intent), but I think that children will really enjoy the 'naughty' aspect of kids who try to prolong their bedtime and will likely recognize things that they do themselves. The tone of the book is perfect for kids (and parents) who aren't really interested in cutesy-type books. I also think that parents were also probably reading the original to their kids (likely editing as they went along). The humour and the desperation from the original book is still here, and now it's accessible for a wider audience. I think that it's best to think of this book as a companion to the original, not necessarily a replacement. If you're looking for a new book to add some variety to your bedtime routine, take a look at this one.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Akashic Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortés
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