Goodnight Opus

We purchased this book at a book fair in the late 1990s when my son was about three years old. It immediately became his favorite -- the rhythm of the rhymes and the incredible illustrations captured his attention and imagination. When he was a senior in high school, he was invited to a baby shower for a friend. I suggested this book and a snugly blanket. He sat down and reread the book from his early childhood and went out and purchased a copy as a gift. He said that it explains so much about who he has become: a true text departer! My son graduated with his Masters in English (4.0 GPA in the Masters program). As an English teacher at a small university, he encourages his students to soar high and depart from the text.

I've been reading this book to my 2 1/2 year old son almost every night for more than 2 years. It is absolutely his favorite good night book, and I love it too. Ever since he's been old enough to look at it, he's been mesmerized by the beautiful pages. I love reading it because it has a great poetic rhythm and it's funny and catching for me as an adult. As he's grown a little older, he now asks for it as the "balloon book" because of the bright red balloon that appears on several pages. I expect the older he gets as he learns to appreciate the humor, this is a book he'll treasure for years. I was first introduced to this book by a long time friend who had it for his first son. I read the book to his son years ago when visiting, and my friend remembered that and got me a copy when my son was born. It's the kind of book that is that memorable and makes that kind of impression. We've now bought copies for other friends of ours with kids. Any parent of young children will love this book as will the kids. Especially if you grew up reading "Bloom County", you'll recognize the one of a kind humor from Berkeley Breathed.

There is something gently comforting about a well-written rhyming children's book. Margaret Wise Brown recognized that, and so did Dr. Seuss. Berkeley Breathed knows it too, and in this book he pays tribute to Ms. Brown's classic bedtime story "Goodnight Moon".But Mr. Breathed knows about more than rhyming. He is still plugged into that part of his child brain that can imagine as big as all outdoors. He remembers when a blanket stretched across a couple of chairs could be a "fort", or when the best toy that could show up in a neighborhood was the big cardboard box that somebody's new fridge came in.So Goodnight Opus combines those two elements - paying tribute to "Goodnight Moon" while not ridiculing it, but also inviting the reader to "leave the text" and let our imaginations run wild.Sometimes the simplest and most gentle lessons are the best. If you've got a little one anywhere around you, ESPECIALLY if you've read them "Goodnight Moon" two hundred and ten times do both of you a favor and read them "Goodnight Opus" next.

I love reading this book to my kids it has fantastic illustrations and is a very clever story. My 6 year old son loves it and I recommend it for children aged 5-8+. It is one of the best childrens books I have had the pleasure of reading.

My husband purchased this book before our son was born in 2001, now 20 months later, we know it by heart and need to buy a replacement copy because we have it so worn. Berkeley Breathed is outstanding in imagination and entertainment. We have all of his books to date, absolutely love them all but Goodnight Opus is our favorite.

I read two newspapers everyday and I always read the funnies first. I miss Bloom County and Outland. When I need a Berkeley Breathed fix now, I go to my children's bookshelf. Goodnight Opus kicks penguin fanny. The art is wonderful and it makes me think that daily cartoon strips and even the Sunday funnies were too confining to contain Mr. Breathed's exquisite artistic universe. The story starts as a take on Goodnight Moon, but sails around the Earth and to the Milky Way by the end of the story. The story ultimately delivers the wonderful message to 'depart from the text.' The story will validate a kid with a wild imagination and might jumpstart the imagination of kid who needs to 'depart from the text.' And Opus is in the story. Goodnight to the review reader.