Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood by Lucy Knisley

Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood Reviews

• 
  Dave Schaafsma

  Lucy Knisley is, book by book, especially in recent years, accomplishing a rather remarkable feat, as she catalogues her life, stage by stage. There was (among so many other books from her I have read) her part-advice, part-memoir wedding book, Something New; her similar making-a-baby book, Kid Gloves (followed by a couple kid picture books--unusual in that the bulk of her work is memoir) and now this book which is mostly cartoons with some writing about different areas in her experience of new parenthood, areas such as sleep, chow time, fashion, long days, and so on.
  
  Knisley is committed to telling the truth about being a woman in all its dimensions. Baby books seem to gloss over the challenges and she wants to make sure women who want to have babies are told that it is sometimes very hard. And she hopes to make you smile as you sometimes wince as you read. While I--an older male father of a few kids--am not surprised by almost anything she shares here, including her breathless joy about being a mom, the drawing--taken, maybe sometimes adapted-- from her sketchbooks is as always colorful, warm, inviting, adorable. I thought the "Chow Time" section was my favorite, the funniest. I kind of prefer the snark/edginess of someone like Guy DeLisle (The Owner's Manual to Terrible Parenting) or the edgy humor of Keilor Roberts (Powdered Milk), but it's all good.
  
  I think we can expect books on every stage of motherhood from Knisley, and how fun is that to imagine? Of course there are many diary comics writers, and many comics memoirists, but this developing oeuvre reminds me of the similar, every-segment-of-his-life work of Québécois comics memoirist Michel Rabagliati (though his work is mainly looking back, and Knisley is mainly looking at, in the present). Quite an accomplishment.
• 
  Elizabeth A

  Knisley is a graphic memoirist, and unlike her other books, this is a collection of illustrated snapshots of her first year of being a new mom. While there were moments that made me smile and wince in sympathy, overall I missed having a narrative to pull me along. I follow the author's Instagram, and this book collects some of that work into book format. It's a quick read that's cute and fun, but not one that will stick with me.
• 
  Rod Brown

  Knisley offers up an amusing collection of one-page gags about mothering her infant son. Sure, she's not in groundbreaking territory as she jokes about baby poop and toddler mischief, but every page made me very happy. I think this fun book is a great companion to the more dramatic story of her pregnancy recounted in
  Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos.
• 
  Priscilla

  This was so sweet and funny. I just wish it had been longer.
• 
  Loz

  Oof. Yes.
• 
  Molly

  Lucy Knisley's reflections on day-to-day life as a new parent are just as delightful as her previous books.
• 
  Caitlin Cramer

  This book is so good I want to read it 18 more times before I pick up anything new. So relatable - from the “soothing sleep thrash” to the crawling baby drawn as a bear cub to her numerous inventions (a baby drone would be amazing), to The Car of Eternal Sadness, Lucy Knisley captures the essence of parenthood with her dumpling shaped drawings of unibrowed Pal. This book will make you laugh, cry, and possibly lactate. Thank you, Box of Delights for this wonderful recommendation.
• 
  Lara

  My husband and I flipped through this together today and just...so many parts of it were so spot on! I wished we’d had it a little earlier on in our baby adventure, because it might have helped us feel slightly less beleaguered! But parts of it we just would not have gotten at that point, so maybe it’s good we came to it now, having already experienced the Magic Sleep Suit—ha!
• 
  Mateen Mahboubi

  A heartfelt memoir of the first year of raising a child that is so relatable. Despite what it feels like while you’re in it, there are parts of the first year that you definitely miss and it’s nice to be reminded of them through this little book.
• 
  Kaethe

  The experience of being a new parent isn't exactly the same for everyone, but there do tend to be common elements. So, no earth-shattering news here. Instead, this is a book that captures the sleep-deprivation madness and moments of bliss and the enormous burden of looking after someone else for the first time. When one is in the middle of it there isn't usually a lot of time to relax, and reflect, and savor. That's okay, though because Knisley managed to catch a fair few of those moments. Experienced parents will look at this and sigh with memories. Weird how the whole thing can go by too fast and also seem never-ending, as when the baby won't stop crying, for an example.
  
  This is more of Knisley's quality memoir work. The unconnected moments kind of randomly arranged capture the disconnected feel of those earliest days in particular.
  
  Library copy
• 
  Jessica

  Well, that was delightful!
• 
  Chelsey

  A very kind friend sent this to me during quarantine and it was the most lovely surprise. I laughed, nodded and got teary as I devoured it on my couch once the little one was asleep. The perfect gift for any new parent. You’ll nearly nod your head right off!
• 
  Halli

  This book definitely helped right now! <3
• 
  emma

  Either send help or a man, for I have discovered my ovaries.
  
  edit I’m sorry for my wording but the fever is real.
• 
  Darcy Roar

  I love Lucy Knisley's work even when I don't necessarily connect with the material. This book has a much looser feel than a lot of her work. I'm not as fond of the format as I am of her more traditionally narrative ones, but It's certainly very charming & fits the material well. This will make a lovely baby shower gift addition for many years to come!
• 
  Gretchen

  I feel really weird reviewing this book because I don't think it's written for me. I do not want children, and the breathless shocking joy of motherhood is neither something I want nor can even imagine experiencing. That said, I do very much appreciate Knisley's devotion to telling her truth about motherhood, and I have always loved the way she captures the hilarity of the weird and awkward moments in life. I appreciate being given a lens into an experience I won't have, and am in awe of the vulnerability and poise Knisley shares with the rest of us.
• 
  Nore

  D'aww. Nothing much of substance, as this is a series of vignettes about an extremely hectic period of Lucy Knisley's life, but these little scenes are cute, endearing, and heartfelt. I liked it even though I don't have kids.
• 
  Megan

  I love this so much! A great gift for any new parent. I love Lucy Knisley's graphic memoirs, and this one really hit the nail on the head. What a delightful and accessibly short read for a new parent to feel less alone. I hope Knisley never stops because her work is amazing!
• 
  Jackleen

  This book was really sweet. It captured so much of what I imagine motherhood might be like, as I am pregnant and unsure fully all that comes with such a giant and personal territory. I feel like this book is a good prep though, and has the humor to balance it out. It reminded me a lot of my friend Autumn, her style of humor and as a new Mom her self, I feel like this would be a perfect gift for her. I feel like I do not have "expectations" necessarily of what motherhood will look like. I don't picture a perfect house or things always running smoothly, in fact, I never really pictured being pregnant at all. It just happened, and in a way, I'm sure I'm still in a state of shock even though I'm officially "half baked" as people post about when they reach what I reached today- 20 weeks. I think a lot of us carry a dream to get us through the days. Mine was always being a musician, buying my Mom a house, being sort of transient. Others dream of pregnancy, a baby, motherhood, family, homemaking. I truly believe all the dreams are valid, but I never imagined motherhood would be easy, or perfect, and for my self, I think the thing I need more than anything else is patience. I don't want to get frustrated, at least not often. I think that would ruin the beauty for me, if I let the unexpected, the poop blowouts, the puking on my clothes, the tears I might not be able to stop, my love having his own issues with it all and adapting to the changes him self- I just want to be patient. I don't expect all of it to be easy but I want to be patient and open minded in it. It's hard now sometimes with just a dog and us in the apartment. But this book gave a good example of what it can actually be like to be a new Mom- the hardships and the joy. It was a graphic novel style so a quick read. I highly recommend to those pregnant and those who are new Parents who are a little on the weird side of the road. ;)
• 
  Dakota Morgan

  Cute and lovely, like everything Lucy Knisley puts together, though with far, far less content than her other books. Really, Go to Sleep (I Miss You) is just a series of one-pagers connected only by the fact that they star her newborn son, Pal.
  
  Almost all of the short comics are silly and cute. Some of them beg to be elaborated upon, like she does in her other graphic works,
  Something New and
  Kid Gloves. Some also seem like photocopies of her Instagram work, awkwardly blown up and pixelated. I'd expect Knisley to redraw a small piece of art if it's not going to look great in a printed book...
• 
  Kyle Dinges

  Got to Sleep (I Miss You) is a collection of cartoons, sketches, and diary strips that focus on the life of a new parent. It's a bit of a departure from Knisley's typical work. Usually, Knisley's books are dense graphic memoir's, where Go to Sleep is a much lighter read.
  
  I enjoyed this quite a bit. Anyone who's gone through that first year of parenthood will find themselves chuckling along and relating to the dueling sense of exhaustion and joy that comes along with raising an infant. I'd imagine if you've read Knisley's books up to this point you'll find yourself enjoying another peek into this new phase of her life.
  
  The book is made up of a combination of single sketches and longer diary-strip style cartoons, but they're all contained to a single page. They are broken into a few different related chapters like baby invention ideas or baby fashion that give a better sense of connection than if they were strictly chronological.
  
  If you've read Knisley before and have enjoyed it, I'd recommend checking this one out. It's a breezy read and will give you an hour or two of laughs.
• 
  Kate Atherton

  It is a pleasure to see Lucy Knisley's drawings in just simple black and white. Her line quality, beautifully round curves and perfect study of the human form (or, in this case the baby form) is incredible to behold. As a pen and ink artist myself I could learn so much from her. The content of this book is not a narrative OR research based comics as with a lot of her other work but rather observations, funny one liners and anecdotes about the first year of her baby's life. The graphic novel is a little bit all over the place ; of course as with anyone I enjoyed certain topics of discussion more than others and I personally could have done without a couple stories that I just didn't relate to personally but I am not a mother! Lucy is an incredibly draftsperson and storyteller but, in this instance I didn't miss an overarching narrative story because all these little snippets of day to day life being a new parent told the story on their own.
• 
  Jessica

  This did nothing for me, unfortunately. This was my first of Knisley's books, and based on the reviews it seems that her other graphic memoirs have more narrative, but this was just a compilation of sketches she'd previously posted to Instagram showing snapshots of her life as a new parent. A few got a chuckle from me, but mostly I just responded with, "Yep. And?" Like, yes, babies blow out their diaper. Here is a cartoon illustration of that happening. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to that? Maybe if there had been more narrative or commentary around the drawings, I would have had more of a response to them. Or maybe I just couldn't relate because so many of them revolved around nursing and her post-pregnancy body, which I didn't experience since both of my kids are adopted. In any case, I might recommend this to someone who is actively in the throes of the newborn stage with their child, but otherwise I'll look to her other books for something more substantial.
• 
  Andrea (EvergreensAndBookishThings)

  Ah, Lucy Knisley just perfectly illustrates real life with her drawing and wit in every book she writes. I feel pretty far removed from the crazy baby days with a 10 and 13 year old, but ‘Go to Sleep, I Miss You’ made all those hazy memories rise to the surface. I even got out the baby books to peruse. Short and sweet, it’s a hilariously fun read for parents of any age!
  For more reviews and bookish musings visit
  http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/
• 
  Sheri

  This book was absolutely perfect. As a mother to 2 little ones, every page was like a written and illustrated comedic play by play of my life the past 2 years. :) I always enjoy Knisley's graphic novels. Her writing is pure with earnest honesty and her illustrations are perfect. Love love love it! And her. Can we be friends now? I'm only 3 hours south of Chi... ;)
• 
  Christine Kallner

  I missed the subtitle when I saw this in my library’s catalog and requested it, so I didn’t realize how focused it was on the newborn/baby phase. Still, a relatable (mostly) & amusing short read. The parts that didn’t resonate as much for me surely will for many others — for all the similarities there are, not everyone’s experience will be the same, and this is just one mom’s own story, which I am glad she shared.
• 
  Anna

  Every once in a while, you find a special book that makes you feel seen. It makes you feel like someone else is experiencing the same things you experience and it makes you feel less alone. This book was one of those books for me. From the depths of the sleepless nights, this book made me feel a lot less alone. It made me laugh all the way through. Knisley's humor is spot on and the cartoons are utterly charming. I cannot recommend it enough, it's a fast, funny, and heartwarming read.