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Goodnight Opus
 
 
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Goodnight Opus (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Which book, dear Opus, may I read you tonight?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Milky Way
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
Price: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
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Customers buy this book with A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Story by Berkeley Breathed

Goodnight Opus + A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Story
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  • This item: Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Through characteristically snappy wordplay, cartoonist Breathed ( The Last Basselope ) introduces a true "goodnight opus" that's both bedtime tale and vehicle for his own Opus the penguin. According to a self-consciously whimsical narrative--whose rhyme structure strongly resembles that of " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas"--Opus slips into "pink bunny jammies" and listens to his grandmother reciting his favorite story. However, when Grandma dozes off, a mischievous Opus admits, "I departed the text." Here, black-and-white illustrations give way to arresting technicolor a la The Wizard of Oz . Opus joins a mouse, a helium-balloon-headed pillow and a gargatuan purple critter on a flying tricycle to bid sweet dreams to the holsteins in the Milky Way (has someone been reading Gary Larson's Cows of Our Planet? ). Breathed demonstrates his airbrush mastery with stark color contrasts and luminescent spreads that fairly pop off the page. Nevertheless, he delivers his message--to "depart the text" of ordinary life for flights of fancy--in florid language that young readers may find opaque; beneath the window dressing, his clear attempt to woo the Dr. Seuss crowd seems soulless. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From School Library Journal

Grade 1 Up-This imaginative bedtime story pokes gentle fun at a childhood classic and encourages children to "depart the text" occasionally and search for new adventures. Opus the penguin is snuggled up in bed, wearing his bunny jammies and listening to the 210th reading of his favorite bedtime story when his sweet old grannie starts to snooze. With a friend or two in tow (one cleverly constructed from a pillow and a smiling balloon), Opus decides to head for the Milky Way. After several brief stops (one to take a dip in the reflecting pool with Abe Lincoln; another to commiserate with an overworked tooth fairy), the penguin and his pals arrive at their destination, where they feast on ice cream with a crowd of cheerful cows. Back home, Granny wakes up to discover Opus asleep on the kitchen floor with a pint of ice cream clutched in his hand. The comical illustrations allude to Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon, as does the bouncy, rhyming text. The art is similar to that in Breathed's cartoons, but has a broader, more Disney-film feel. Animals and people are not realistically portrayed, but are rounded, exaggerated caricatures. While there are occasional glimpses of Breathed's typical barbed wit, the general tone of the story is less sarcastic than that of his cartoon collections. This gentler tone, along with the popularity of the title he parodies, makes the book accessible to a wide age range. While the most likely audience consists of "Bloom County" and/or "Outland" fans, even libraries without his previous titles may want to consider this one.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Paperback: 32 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (October 1, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316105996
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316105996
  • Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,659 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Berkeley Breathed
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Which book, dear Opus, may I read you tonight? Read the first page
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Milky Way
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Goodnight Opus
64% buy the item featured on this page:
Goodnight Opus 4.9 out of 5 stars (36)
$7.99
Bloom County Complete Library Volume 1 (Library of American Comics)
10% buy
Bloom County Complete Library Volume 1 (Library of American Comics) 4.7 out of 5 stars (13)
$26.39
Mars Needs Moms!
10% buy
Mars Needs Moms! 4.9 out of 5 stars (55)
OPUS: 25 Years of His Sunday Best
9% buy
OPUS: 25 Years of His Sunday Best 4.5 out of 5 stars (20)
$13.59
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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic fun bedtime reading, February 10, 2005
By J. Minatel "jimmin" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
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.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Teach Someone To Depart From The Text, August 17, 2001
By Bruce Crocker "agnostictrickster" (Whittier, California United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Goodnight Opus (Library Binding)
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.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Get your Bunnie Jammies and enjoy the perfect Goodnight Book, June 23, 2004
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Opus book For Children
By far my favorite of the Berkeley Breathed children's books. Rhymes well, good story, imaginative illustrations, and my five-year-old adores it.
Published 7 months ago by Jonathan Perry

5.0 out of 5 stars Never too young or too old for Goodnight Opus!
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!
Published 8 months ago by "just one opinion"

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book, clearly spoofing Goodnight Moon
Opus is listening to the same (boring) story he's heard zillions of times before when he departs from the text, in quite a spectacular way - flying through the milky way, going... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ulyyf

5.0 out of 5 stars Goodnight Opus
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. Read more
Published 20 months ago by G. Chambers

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming
Both charming and mesmerizing, Berkeley Breathed has created an endearing bedtime story for his greatest creation, Opus. Read more
Published 21 months ago by David Edmonds

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Wonderful story, fantastic art. A childrens book from my favorite cartoonist in the whole world, and my two year old son won't go to bed without a reading. Read more
Published on November 5, 2007 by ambroseaz

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Must Read!
Berkeley Breathed is one of the best autor's one could come by. She has great enthusiasm and vision; it's like you're inside the story. Read more
Published on July 17, 2006 by Jaime L. Ocean

5.0 out of 5 stars Goodnight Opus by Berkley Breathed
This is an amazing book.....all children should have it I read it to my nephews every night probably for 2 yrs....they couldn't even talk but knew all the parts ... Read more
Published on June 5, 2006 by K. Sammeter

4.0 out of 5 stars Before you read "flawed Dogs"....
Berkley Breathed manages to create a world you recognize, as well as one you want to escape to. Like all the best fiction, he manages to depict the truth of our absurdities with... Read more
Published on December 7, 2004 by Tom2France2

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous book that isn't dumbed down
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. Read more
Published on October 11, 2004 by April

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