Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood
by Lucy Knisley
I’ll be the first to admit that becoming a dad has made me soft. It comes as a surprise because I’ve been a cynical bastard for most of my life. And although I never wanted to become the guy who flaunts picture of his kid to people – and I still haven’t exactly – I will expound on stories of my kid when asked. I’m sure I’m the first person to say it: becoming a parent is weird.
Along with that weirdness come countless weird moments that present themselves as you see this little gelatinous blob grow. It’s exhausting, scary, and rewarding all at the same time. Many books have been written on the subject of parenthood, but it’s hard to find something as easily relatable as Lucy Knisley’s book Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood.
In case you didn’t realize, Go to Sleep is a comic book, and an autobiographical one at that. What’s important to note here is that this is a Lucy Knisley joint, meaning it’s some of the best comics has to offer. Go to Sleep has stories detailing the odd and unexpected moments of parenthood which are immediately recognizable to anyone with a new child: it’s both scarily accurate and relieving to see that these odd moments are actually quite common. Illustrated in Knisley’s gorgeous style, which is simple, detailed, and elegant, the stories come to life in a beautiful and sweet way. It just makes it all that much more personal.
What I did not like about this book is that in additional to Knisley’s gorgeous artwork, Go to Sleep also has some of the most beautiful handwriting, borderline calligraphy, to compliment the stories. Really, almost every page is a work of art that would look lovely as a framed piece decorating any room of the house. It was almost depressing to see just how much talent Knisley has and what a gorgeous book she’s made.
Sure, Go to Sleep is for a particular crowd, and not for everyone. I happen to be in the former, and I dare say, this book serves both as an accurate account of things to come for new parents and a lovely reminder of those moments we might have forgotten.
Get it here.
