Customer Reviews

Goodnight Opus

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This beautiful story book with lovely rhymes was fun for our 2 year old to start listening to and looking at, even if he didn't understand all the words or pictures. He is three now and still finds new subtleties in the pictures and understands more and more of the language, instead of just the rhythm of the poetry. I really appreciate the fact that Mr. Breathed gently nudges children toward intelligence and stretching their imagination, instead of dumbing down the text and art.

My favorite book to read to the wee bairns. The elder is six and still loves it, the younger is near two and just getting into it. The illustrations are amazing, the story clever and good for limitless re-reads. It's never too late to depart from the text, even for old grannies.

When i first read this book, I was about 6 yeasrs old. And now, even know i am 12, when i can't sleep i still pull that book out and read it to myself. It has the ability to lift your imagination to its highest point. Take you on an imagination trip throught the adventures of Opus and his pillow friend. Its fun to read because the hole story rimes! I think that ever child should have this book. They can use it to learn how to read and still use it when they get my age. So if you are looking for a cute book for that someone special in your life, this is definatly the one to pick

Goodnight Opus is a fabulous "read aloud" story with rich, whimsical art and a clever, fun message. "Departing the text" has become a household phrase!

I am a homeschool mother. Homeschooling was recommended to me for my 8 year old by an educational consortium of public school administrators, psychologists, and independent Dr.'s in the fields of child development, biology, and classic studies. This book, "Goodnight Opus", is hands down, my favorite children's book. I have bought countless copies for friends and aquaintances. I have read it to grown men who keep my yard, neighbor ladies, and numbers of children in the kid sections of 4 local libraries. While it would be silly to correlate this book to my child's level, know my child - now 15 - is working on her 2nd college degree. My original copy is displayed in my library on it's own library stand. 1993 should be ignored completely - the book is timeless. Berkeley Breathed should be one of my closest friends!!