Cry When the Baby Cries

by Becky Barnicoat

Born out of a viral “Shouts & Murmurs” piece in The New Yorker, this darkly humorous, charming, and brilliant graphic memoir, in the tradition of Allie Brosh and Roz Chast, brings the first few years of parenthood to life.

With the wit of a comedian and the observational skills of a sociologist surveying a new subculture, Becky Barnicoat writes about her first few years of parenthood with warmth, sharp insight, and uproarious humor in her debut graphic memoir Cry When the Baby Cries.

Barnicoat’s prose is always relatable, smart, and so funny while discussing everything from how ignoring women’s pain is baked into the practice of obstetrics to the impossibility of putting a child down drowsy but awake while you are permanently drowsy but awake, to the tyranny of gentle parenting, and more.

Barnicoat gives us permission to cry when the baby cries, and also laugh, snort, lie on the floor naked, drool, and revel in a deeply strange new world ruled by a tyrannical tiny leader, growing bigger and more cherished by the day.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Parenting, Comics, Nonfiction, Memoir, Family, Humor

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 18, 2025

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

takes me back to that time

Very accurate portrayal of what is like to be a new mother in the 21st century. Also a nice distraction of everyday life. Both funny and sad at the same time

The thing is, none of the books that are currently out there, other than books such as this one, “Cry When the Baby Cries”, tell you really what is going on once you give birth. Like the author, I remember well how exhausting it was to have the new born at home with you, especially after a c-section. There was one night, when I hadn’t slept because I had to keep getting up for the baby, that I picked her up, and asked her to please let me get some sleep, pleading with a new born. I only got four weeks of maternity leave (by using up my vacation and sick leave), and when I went back, they asked me how the baby was, and I had to think about it. What baby, my mind asked.

And in this book, the author goes through much the same world of lack of sleep and feedings, though she is lucky enough to be in the UK, where at least they get real maternity leave.

And all the things she says are so true. No one on the outside knows what you are going through. And certainly the doctors don’t take your pain seriously.

It is so incredibly hard to really get ready to have a new born, and help them stay alive. They really should give us more books like this one, to show how it really happens. What you really go through. People who are childless have no idea why maternity leave is as long as it is in the developed world (the US is certainly not part of said world). Mothers and kids need all the help they can get.

This is all to say this is one of those books where, if you have given birth, you sympathize and laugh at shared experiences. Great fun, in retrospect. A truly five star review. I sat and read it in one sitting, it was so good.

This book came out this week, and is available wherever bookstores sell books.

[Lindsay Eng · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only had a baby for 3 1/2 weeks, but I've probably done about a year's worth of crying in that time!

[Renske Veltman · Rating 5 out of 5]

We gaan t meemaken

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becky Barnicoat delivers a warts and all book about pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood filled with very relatable insights that many parents will immediately recognize and second.

It's a familiar topic, but her art gives it her own distinct stamp.

[Catriona Irvine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in two sittings on one day. Struck such a chord with the highs and lows, hilarities and hardships of parenting. An emotional rollercoaster!

[Kim]

hahaha i’m sure having a baby is a beautiful experience but no thank you :)

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nailed it.

[Amanda Kime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hit all the stages of early motherhood for me. I laughed and cried then cried and laughed some more while flipping through these pages. Thanks for sharing your experience and bringing out the truth of what becoming a mother is like. Everything turns upside down and even though you might feel like you’re drowning at times, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

[Claire Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - reading this with a newborn snoozing on my chest was quite an experience, and there were many pages here where I thought to myself “this is literally my life, right now”

Anyway—I would love to read more of her work, I thought this was engaging and fun and would make a great gift to the right person, since it captures those feelings of postpartum and early child rearing incredibly well

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this hilarious memoir in comics about parenting. I felt very seen.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the truth about modern day parenting in a delightful, no holds barred narrative. I will reread this for years to come, to celebrate, mourn and I remember this time of my life being in amber with my young family. Thank you Becky Barnicoat for such an honest, relatable memoir.

[Emmanuelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny - my 5yo kept asking me why I was cry-laughing as I read this. Incredibly relatable, and all the more precious (and reassuring) for it! Thanks Becky for writing this :)

[Hal Schrieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mom memoirs, what can I say. I don't think there's too much to this, other than being a useful personal and honest account of the difficult parts of having a baby and being a feral creature with your infant after they are born. Post-COVID, takes up navigating return to work and losing one's job amidst new baby; discusses sleep schedule difficulties, feeding issues, and classics of baby parenting such as a lack of sex and a need to get out of the house. It's a memoir, so not intended to meet every parent or situation, but I expect that if you're a mom or dad having a baby, it's useful to see the rougher parts reflected (though also -- the difficulties faced by these parents do not exceed: C-section, nun related injury in the hospital, work life balance, unsleepy baby). References to postpartum health issues and mental health issues, navigated with other parents. It makes me want to have a baby even more, similar to how AK Summers' memoir does. All love to new parents.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this graphic novel in hopes that this would be a sweet gift for a young expecting mother to give her something relatable to read.

In all honesty, this book is hilarious and seems relatable to those who have already experienced the first few years of parenthood. For someone who is expecting their first, I think this book would be a glimpse into the reality of what they will experience as new parents which at times doesn’t seem so glamourous and would have scared my friend a bit 😂.

I think I will keep this book in mind for when she’s past the toddler years because it was so funny and enjoyable!

The last line of the book is something that my mum tells my sister and I all of the time and that being a known universal feeling of most mothers made me cry!

Okay!! That’s it that’s all :)

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read alongside What Are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice. I don’t think I’ve felt the urge to be a mom since before I started babysitting—my first career failure. And even then, I think that just came from being socialized as a girl and having dolls. I wish this had been available when some of my friends’ children were younger. I’ve never wanted kids, but I could have been more empathetic to those who did, even if their drive to bring more people into this microplastics-saturated hellscape mystifies me completely.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely comic capturing the joy, hardships, and weird experiences of being a mother with a baby/toddler in England. It reminded me of many things I'd forgotten! I especially admired the way she teased out details and described thoughts/feelings that are difficult to express. Not just a memoir, but also a perceptive reflection of life as a new parent in general.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adooooored this! Didn’t want it to end. The drawings were so funny and well done and the storytelling was beautiful and an excellent examination of new motherhood and all its trials and tribulations but beautiful joys. Just a gorgeous, fun, heartfelt wonderful book. Maybe my favourite graphic novel I’ve ever read. Perfect use of the form.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

really is a 3.5, not because it wasn't good, it was. Really it was a graphic novel that was a quick read and helped me out of my reading slump, but I just felt so overwhelmed and sad while reading it and the ending tried to provide resolution but didn't? 3.5!

[Sam Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so thankful to Gallery Books, Becky Barnicoat, Libro.fm, and Simon Audio for granting me advanced audio access to this graphic memoir before it hits shelves on March 18, 2025.

There has been so much centered around pregnancy journeys like mine lately and I’m so thankful for that.

Cry when the Baby Cries is a hilariously realistic depiction of what to expect when you’re expecting and beyond that’s like a very real world example. The pains, the victories, the frustrations, and the feats are all apart of motherhood and that’s coming up very soon for me — so it was special to hear from another mom whose both experienced and jaded of sorts in the field.

[Olena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the PERFECT post-partum read. Barnicoat celebrates the insanity of newborn and toddler life with a remarkable sense of humor. Recommend for every new parent (or not so new). Loved it!!!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d recommend this to my new-parent friends but know they don’t have time to read it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterically funny and hauntingly accurate. Great book for any mom.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel seen 😬

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every moment of motherhood… 🥹

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah I guess it is all pretty crazy when you put it that way

[Amandine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, sweet, terrifying. This was a very effective use of the graphic novel genre for me, I really enjoyed it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. So relatable and well written. It didn’t feel trite or cheesy like some parenthood books I’ve read. It was personal and universal, funny and real all at the same time. The toddlerhood parts really hit since we’re in that era right now 😅

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give this gift of a book to every mother with present, past and future children. I laughed a lot, saw my own future, and loved the author’s honesty about the emotional adventure of parenthood.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to know what it’s really like to have a baby? Read this laugh out loud while also tearing up wonder of a graphic novel.

[Rosie Mujica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very relatable, especially as I'm going through the newborn trenches right now. It was refreshing to see my own struggles and joys of new motherhood reflected in Barnicoat's story.