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"A parenting zeitgeist"
--Washington Post
"A hilarious take on that age-old problem: getting the beloved child to go to sleep."
--National Public Radio
"A new Bible for weary parents"
--New York Times
"Resonates powerfully with almost everyone"
--Boston Globe
"Go the F*** to Sleep challenges stereotypes, opens up prototypes, and acknowledges that shared sense of failure that comes to all parents who weary of ever getting their darling(s) to sleep and briefly resuming the illusion of a life of their own."
--Midwest Book Review
Go the F*** to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach's verses perfectly capture the familiar--and unspoken--tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, they open up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations, and laugh at their absurdity.
With illustrations by Ricardo Cortes, Go the F*** to Sleep is beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny--a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.
Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, a children's book inspired by Go the F*** to Sleep and appropriate for kids of all ages, is forthcoming from Akashic Books in April 2012 and available NOW for pre-order.
Adam Mansbach's novels include The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award, and the best-selling Angry Black White Boy, a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2005. His fiction and essays have appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the Believer, Granta, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. He was the 2010-2011 New Voices Professor of Fiction at Rutgers University. His daughter, Vivien, is three.
Ricardo Cortes has illustrated books about marijuana, electricity, the Jamaican bobsled team, and Chinese food. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, the Village Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle, and on the O'Reilly Factor and CNN. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, where he is working on a book about the history of Coca-Cola and cocaine. To see more of his work, visit: Rmcortes.com.
ptalarczyk
Posted April 28, 2011
I am writing this largely to balance out the first reviewer's harsh, humorless remarks. The first reviewer (anonymous) posted that the book will only be read by ignorant people and that the publisher should re-think publication. I would like to point out that if one were to actually read the review from the publisher, they actually recommend this book not be read to children. The sample verses are funny and remind me of other joke children's books such as "Daddy Drinks because you Cry." I hope the author and publisher continue this into a series that grows up with the kids including titles "Go the F*** to school already" and "Pre-Teen Girls, Stop dressing like Wh**es"
170 out of 180 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2011
For those who have called this "abusive" and "disgusting" you are actually missing the whole point not to mention you are either not parents, overly medicated, or liars. The point of this book, if you would have taken the time to read some of the statements made by the author, is to remind parents that we all go through the frustrations of parenting and the strain of getting our kids to cooperate. Though we have this inner dialog in our mind screaming for that 15 minutes of peace that we get when they go to sleep and we have a few minutes to wind down, we still have to suck it up and read that story to them because we are PARENTS! If you do not have a child, your opinion holds no value on the matter, if you do have children then you are either a liar if you state that you have never felt this frustration, or i suggest you go to the doctor and reduce your medication as you have become in-humanly disengaged from reality. The author states that this is a bedtime book for adults not children.
146 out of 148 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 28, 2011
Clearly you do not have children. Signed, A chronically sleep-deprived parent of a very strong-willed toddler who finds this book hilarious.
94 out of 100 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.nmshanahan
Posted May 6, 2011
Somehow I received the whole book in an email as a pdf. I almost peed my pants, I've preorder 3 of these (free shipping). Obviously this book is ONLY for those with a sense of HUMOR. My youngest child is 11 and my oldest is 18, I'm getting copies to put away for when they become parents. If you are offended easily don't even open this book, for everyone else, laugh away!
76 out of 77 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 29, 2011
I can hardly wait for this book to come out. As the mother of 4 sons I have SOOOOO been there!
56 out of 60 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LaughingGranmum
Posted May 6, 2011
As a grandmother of 7, I can't stop laughing! So true; so funny! Wish I'd had this over 40 years ago when my kids were small - it would have provided some comic relief to a desperate Mother. Yesterday one grandson pulled the sleepless nap routine for 1.5 hrs until I finally gave up all hope! I'm reserving books for the whole family! Enjoy the read; if you don't enjoy it, maybe somebody needs a nap! You.
26 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 2, 2011
I read this book while standing in the store and was literally laughing out loud! I've been blessed to have a child who sleeps through the night and has been doing so since he was three weeks old (he's now eight months), but there are still moments when he's so tired he refuses to go to bed. This has been said several times already in the reviews, but to those of you who think this book is "disgusting," "abusive," or compared it to pedophilia, you have obviously not actually read it. The author states that it is an ADULT'S nursery rhyme, not meant for children. As an ADULT, I found it hilarious. As a child, I probably wouldn't have known what was going on except that my parents were frustrated and wanted me to go to bed. It's television shows that parents watch with their kids around, and the language that just "slips out" when a child is around, that have degraded society enough that they would even know that they are being cursed at (or what a curse word is, for that matter!) So, to reiterate: The book, for ADULTS, is hilarious and is not meant for the literal minded people who would read it to their children. Got it? :)
21 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I appreciated the humor this short book, but cannot recommend this on the Nook Color, since it does not display in landscape, which compresses the artwork, which diminishes the impact of the joke, leaving me dissapointed.
20 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 15, 2011
Will anxiously await the version for teenage kids titled "Wake the f**k up!" Love it!
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TattooedCricket
Posted May 27, 2011
I, too, received this book in PDF form and I couldn't believe it was an actual, soon-to-be-released book! I thought it was hysterical and have been telling every parent or caregiver that I know about it - and yes, I know a mom that actually did pee their pants when they read it. I would like to second ptarlarczyk's idea for a continuing series! It's humor that reminded much of the "Three Martini" series, only more succint and well illustrated. OF COURSE functional parents wouldn't read this to their small children - that would be like letting them watch Family Guy just because it's animated. And yes, if you were to actually speak to your children like that, it would be abuse - but that's the difference between being a true parent with some self-control and a piece of trash that shouldn't have kids. It's called inner dialogue, people, and we all have it. I agree with the other reviewers - if you don't "get" the humor in this, then you are either someone who has never engaged in the bed-time dance while vehemently wishing you could just have 10 minutes of peace and quiet, or you should seek medical attention - IMMMEDIATELY - to have that large pole removed from your rectum. To the Anonymous first viewer, the comparison of a universal joke amongst weary parents to pedophilia makes me wonder about your own superego - how does one make that jump in logic? I wonder, do you have such scathing opinions about Bill Cosby's standup comedy from way back when, or Chris Rock's brilliant television series "Everybody Hates Chris"? It is not a new thing to poke fun at the frustrations of parenting.
16 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CoCo-in-Wonderland
Posted June 12, 2011
As the mother of 3 ages 27,21 & 16 AND "Ama-momma" to 2- 2 & 3 yr granddaughters, why didnt anyone write this book BEFORE??????? I will be buying a stack! I hope its #1 on the new york times best sellers list for 99 weeks! For those of you whom think its abusive in any way, get a grip & grow a sense of humor! As a parent you realize after your first month of parenting that to get through the next 20 yrs you better have a pretty good sense of humor or an ample supply of good wine! I went with the humor, Im the mom LOL I wouldnt spend that much on myself
14 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 18, 2011
I just listened to Samuel L. Jackson's reading of "Go the F**k to Sleep" and I just want to say to anyone who disapproves of this book or doesn't see the humor in it: Obviously (a) you are not a parent; (b) you have never been in contact with a parent; or (c) you are a parent of a Stepford child. Of course I can't imagine any parent actually reading this book to a child. (DUH!!) It was never meant to be a children's book. (DUH, again!!) However, if you are, or ever have been, a parent of a REAL child, and you are truly honest with yourself, you have to admit that it says exactly what you've thought at least once in your life. Kudos to Adam Mansbach; I wish I'd come up with the idea for this brilliantly funny book.
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MYhumbleOPINION
Posted June 11, 2011
Really? For those of you who think this is soooo horrible and it will never be on school sheves.....well...duh!!! really??? OF COURSE NOT!!!! I doubt that the author wrote this book for children. What I really think, is that this book was directed towards parents of kids who JUST WON'T GO TO SLEEP!!! A parent who reads this and has naughty little buggers at home who will find every excuse to stay awake, this will for sure give them a fabulous laugh. As a mom of two, I GET IT...it lightens up the pressure of being a parent who from time to time gets frustrated with the daily grind. DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE READING TO YOUR KIDS???? NOOOOOOOOO..... I doubt that any good parent would consider doing that. Maybeeeee when they turn 18??? hahhaaa
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 8, 2011
Okay first off to all you critics if you didnt like the title of the book why did you bother opening and reading the book? Obviously you were interested. Also, if you knew anything about the book or author you would know this book isn't meant for kids its for adults so obviously it will never be in schools. You people really need to loosen up as someone stated earlier if you have kids be real with yourself you have had these thoughts at some point or another. I have a one year old and have been sleep deprived since before he was born I can certainly relate to this book. These are feelings that I would never display to my child because I love him dearly and he is worth every night of little sleep but this book is meant to make you laugh about it. So grow up and get over yourself I promise your not perfect at some point you have had these thoughts.
10 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 4, 2011
this is exactly what you're thinking as you approach hour 1,687,912 of bedtime. the desperation you feel is captured perfectly in this hilarious book :)
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 17, 2011
Now that there are several versions of NOOK, you need to click the link
"Read exclusively on these devices & apps" so the web page expands that section. You won't get a refund so it's best to check.
8 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 14, 2011
Don't waste you time or your money. I read the reviews and against my better judgement i bought it and now im so mad that i wasted my time and money on this. Its not funny. I'm not saying that parents do not get frustrated but come on. This is way out of line and there is no humor at all in the book. I do not recomend this book at all or ever. If you feel this way about your kids then perhaps you shouldn't have had them in the first place!
7 out of 72 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 26, 2011
All you have to do is read the title and you've read the book. I'd save that money for a latte.
6 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 17, 2011
I heard the free audio version before I bought it so of course the dulcet tones of Samuel L Jackson's voice played along in my head as I read the Nook version. Very cute in a guilty pleasure kind of way and having a little one in the terrible twos I can totally relate! The only bummer is it's not formatted like other picture books so you don't get the full effect of the contrast between the pictures and the story. It's orientation is portrait instead of landscape and the adorable pictures are so small that they are hard to see. 10 gold stars for the author and zero for the idiot that formatted this for Nook color. Let this be a lesson to always look at the sample first.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 29, 2011
This had my friends and I laughing so hard! Without a sense of humor, kids and parents wouldn't survive each other, so laugh about things when you can. :-)
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
"Nothing has driven home a certain truth about my generation, which is approaching the apex of its childbearing years, quite like this."
--The New Yorker
"A parenting zeitgeist"
--Washington Post
"A hilarious take on that age-old problem: getting the beloved child to go to sleep."
--National Public Radio
"A new Bible for weary parents"
--New York Times
"Resonates powerfully ...