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Goodnight Opus
Opus the penguin decides to leave routine behind and launches into a night-time adventure. Opus has always listened quietly while Grandma reads him his favourite bedtime story. But this time Opus decides to finish the story his way.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Berkeley Breathed
90 books416 followersGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director, and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip which dealt with socio-political issues as seen through the eyes of highly exaggerated characters (e.g. Bill the Cat and Opus the Penguin) and humorous analogies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 10, 2015
"Which book, dear Opus, may I read you tonight?"
asked Grandma with love at the start of that night.
"Why my favorite," I said, "the one with the rhymes,
the same one you've read me two hundred nine times."
When Granny falls asleep while reading a bedtime story (been there, done that!), Opus, his pillow and the beast from under the bed have a grand adventure.
This is a lovely little paean to imagination and the power of reading to children, PLUS, Breathed proves you're never too old to dream.
Love it!
asked Grandma with love at the start of that night.
"Why my favorite," I said, "the one with the rhymes,
the same one you've read me two hundred nine times."
When Granny falls asleep while reading a bedtime story (been there, done that!), Opus, his pillow and the beast from under the bed have a grand adventure.
This is a lovely little paean to imagination and the power of reading to children, PLUS, Breathed proves you're never too old to dream.
Love it!
June 5, 2024
This is sort of a retelling of Goodnight Moon which I have read hundreds of times to my children and grandchildren. This book is a riot—about Opus the penguin. It is written AND illustrated by Berkeley Breathed.
“And just as it is with all proper grannies,
She ordered me into my pink bunny Jammie’s.
The she sat and said, ‘Hush,’ and her voice filled the room.
‘Goodnight,’ she read softly,
‘goodnight to the moon…”
So it goes until little Opus has had enough of hearing this same story for the “two hundredth tenth time.”
Grandma gets a little irritated and tells Opus that “It’s improper that folks get so carried away.” Grandma evenly falls asleep and
“Now, I take full blame
for all that came next.
For I continued the story.. …but departed the text.”
Opus wakes up the monster that lives under his bed and stuffs a pillow to make up a team to put Grandma in the fruit cellar and they take off for the Milky WY, filled with cows, of course. They visit the Lincoln Memorial and The Blue Mist Lagoon. They fly past an airliner filled with people, and many more imaginative places that rest in a child’s mind.
They finally return and get Grandma back into her rocking chair and feel bad that she missed all the fun.
“For years I’ve thought back to how Grandma had listened
to all the great things that I said she’d been mission’.
How that night she had paused at the foot of my bed,
and smiled at those Milky Way cows overhead.
I sure like to think that one night or the next…
…she’ll get carried away
and depart from the text.”
The illustrations are in full color and are fantastic and filled with details that you and your child find more with every reading. It takes on so many different meanings depending on the age of your child and I’ve had teenagers loving it.
The rhyming makes it super fun to read and once you have readers (about 9 years old so they can read fast enough to get the rhyming going strong) they want to read it over and over again too.
Small children can understand the story through the pictures and will sit and “read” it on their own!
I LOVE this book!
“And just as it is with all proper grannies,
She ordered me into my pink bunny Jammie’s.
The she sat and said, ‘Hush,’ and her voice filled the room.
‘Goodnight,’ she read softly,
‘goodnight to the moon…”
So it goes until little Opus has had enough of hearing this same story for the “two hundredth tenth time.”
Grandma gets a little irritated and tells Opus that “It’s improper that folks get so carried away.” Grandma evenly falls asleep and
“Now, I take full blame
for all that came next.
For I continued the story.. …but departed the text.”
Opus wakes up the monster that lives under his bed and stuffs a pillow to make up a team to put Grandma in the fruit cellar and they take off for the Milky WY, filled with cows, of course. They visit the Lincoln Memorial and The Blue Mist Lagoon. They fly past an airliner filled with people, and many more imaginative places that rest in a child’s mind.
They finally return and get Grandma back into her rocking chair and feel bad that she missed all the fun.
“For years I’ve thought back to how Grandma had listened
to all the great things that I said she’d been mission’.
How that night she had paused at the foot of my bed,
and smiled at those Milky Way cows overhead.
I sure like to think that one night or the next…
…she’ll get carried away
and depart from the text.”
The illustrations are in full color and are fantastic and filled with details that you and your child find more with every reading. It takes on so many different meanings depending on the age of your child and I’ve had teenagers loving it.
The rhyming makes it super fun to read and once you have readers (about 9 years old so they can read fast enough to get the rhyming going strong) they want to read it over and over again too.
Small children can understand the story through the pictures and will sit and “read” it on their own!
I LOVE this book!
January 20, 2023
A delightful read with a twist. Anyone who's read, or had Goodnight Moon read to them should find this book wondrous. The illustrations are spectacular.
November 9, 2021
I adore this book! Both charming and mesmerizing, Berkeley Breathed has created an endearing bedtime story for his greatest creation, Opus. Even at 30 years old, I can still sit down on any given night, and take 10 minutes out of my evening to be swept away to the marvelous Milky Way and remind myself that sometimes, it is perfectly normal and quite a bit of fun to depart from the text, even if just for awhile.
March 26, 2015
I miss the old art style, but this definitely had entertaining moments.
December 6, 2017
Started reading this for the kids and ended up laughing right along with them.
January 19, 2018
It was cute!
April 1, 2019
Surreal story has Opus and an unusual buddy floating through dreamland. Some creative scenes, but light and quick to dissipate as a daydream!
April 2, 2019
This book was good. I like how the illusion had more darker colors. I also like how clean the the text look, since the it had a white background.
July 8, 2019
My favorite bedtime story.
November 7, 2019
Opus embellishes the story that Grandma has read to him many times. Breathed's illustrations are wonderful.
March 31, 2020
Cleaning out the bookshelves found this title. The book that saved me from 100's of readings of Goodnight Moon to my kids. AHHH the memories!! I miss Opus!
November 27, 2020
Berkeley Breathed's version of Goodnight Moon, a book for kids and an unexpectedly moving tale.
May 31, 2021
How did this get published?
May 5, 2022
When Opus the penguin hears Goodnight Moon for the 210th time from his grannie, his imagination goes wild.
Interesting and muted illustrations.
Interesting and muted illustrations.
July 11, 2022
Fantastically fun story. An absolute must read. It's great when children fall in love with stories that adults can also enjoy
July 30, 2022
Nice rhyme. Quite the fantastical story.
October 15, 2023
Family favorite. I could read this with my eyes closed.
September 2, 2024
Fun to read
April 28, 2025
I was shocked to realize I had forgotten to add this to my library. This book holds a special place in my heart and is beloved by my whole family. I even got a copy to share with my children one day.
October 15, 2014
The author's dedication page nicely sums up the reader's expectation of what the story might be about - the story is dedicated to two young girls who are "text departing experts." The quote on the title page reads, "People who never get carried away should be," by Malcolm Forbes. Indeed, they should be.
This "text departing" story begins with Opus, a young penguin, who snuggles into bed while is dear, old granny reads him a bedtime story for the 200th time. The illustrations are in black and white, indicative of the restrictions old granny places on Opus' bedtime story, not allowing him to imagine what might happen beyond the actual text of the story. After granny falls asleep, however, Opus takes things into his own hands and departs the text (ie: lets his imagination run wild), only to encounter the greatest adventure of his life. From the creatures beneath his bed to the cows in the milky way, he soars through the sky in an experience unlike any other. Upon his return home, his only wish is that his granny can find joy in departing the text one day, too, as your imagination can lead you to far more interesting places than the text does. The ending leaves a sweet surprise for the reader.
Black and white images give way to a technicolor dream, and the deeper into Opus' fantasy the author goes, the richer the illustrations. The bordering and framing of each photo helps the reader to put the story and images into proper order, and the hilarious rhyming lines accompany the illustrations perfectly.
This "text departing" story begins with Opus, a young penguin, who snuggles into bed while is dear, old granny reads him a bedtime story for the 200th time. The illustrations are in black and white, indicative of the restrictions old granny places on Opus' bedtime story, not allowing him to imagine what might happen beyond the actual text of the story. After granny falls asleep, however, Opus takes things into his own hands and departs the text (ie: lets his imagination run wild), only to encounter the greatest adventure of his life. From the creatures beneath his bed to the cows in the milky way, he soars through the sky in an experience unlike any other. Upon his return home, his only wish is that his granny can find joy in departing the text one day, too, as your imagination can lead you to far more interesting places than the text does. The ending leaves a sweet surprise for the reader.
Black and white images give way to a technicolor dream, and the deeper into Opus' fantasy the author goes, the richer the illustrations. The bordering and framing of each photo helps the reader to put the story and images into proper order, and the hilarious rhyming lines accompany the illustrations perfectly.
March 22, 2020
I picked this book for BenTime Story #1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGaUv...
With the novel coronavirus of 2020 causing me to quarantine and socially distance, and seeing the effect it was having on my community, I decided to start recording myself reading books on YouTube in the hopes that kids might have something fun to do, even if only for a few minutes, while they're "stuck" at home. I'm partnering with Read It Again Books in Suwanee, Georgia. I picked one of my all time favorites for my "test" read. In this read-through, where I had no live audience, I was surprised about how "grown up" some of the book was. Berkeley Breathed doesn't pander to his audience, which are the kids at heart. But also, kids. I wonder if my kids, whom I read this book to many times when they were little, could keep up with some of the richer text. Perhaps they didn't need to, because they had the beautiful pictures, and their dad (or mom) helping them piece together some of the more grown-up vocabulary. A win-win. Berekely Breathed continues to entertain me all these years later.
With the novel coronavirus of 2020 causing me to quarantine and socially distance, and seeing the effect it was having on my community, I decided to start recording myself reading books on YouTube in the hopes that kids might have something fun to do, even if only for a few minutes, while they're "stuck" at home. I'm partnering with Read It Again Books in Suwanee, Georgia. I picked one of my all time favorites for my "test" read. In this read-through, where I had no live audience, I was surprised about how "grown up" some of the book was. Berkeley Breathed doesn't pander to his audience, which are the kids at heart. But also, kids. I wonder if my kids, whom I read this book to many times when they were little, could keep up with some of the richer text. Perhaps they didn't need to, because they had the beautiful pictures, and their dad (or mom) helping them piece together some of the more grown-up vocabulary. A win-win. Berekely Breathed continues to entertain me all these years later.
March 13, 2009
Genre: Fictional Picture book
Reading Level: Transitional ages 6-9
Topics and Themes: Using our imagination. In this book the main character, Opus, uses his imagination to depart from the text of his favorite book and goes on a great adventure.
Curricular Use: Read- Aloud
Social: This is a non- traditional bedtime story. It shows Opus disobeying his Grandma after she falls asleep by changing the story even though she told him not to. When she wakes up she is not happy with Opus but his a whimsical look in her eye as though she may take a cue from Opus and try departing the text herself.
Literary Element: The story uses Irony at the end of the book. Opus was told not to change the story but he does anyway. When the Grandma wakes up and sees this she is upset with him. After she makes him get into bed though, the book implies that she may go on her own adventure.
Text and Pictures: The text is written in rhyme. The pictures use a lot of color and are drawn to go along with the text of the book.
Reading Level: Transitional ages 6-9
Topics and Themes: Using our imagination. In this book the main character, Opus, uses his imagination to depart from the text of his favorite book and goes on a great adventure.
Curricular Use: Read- Aloud
Social: This is a non- traditional bedtime story. It shows Opus disobeying his Grandma after she falls asleep by changing the story even though she told him not to. When she wakes up she is not happy with Opus but his a whimsical look in her eye as though she may take a cue from Opus and try departing the text herself.
Literary Element: The story uses Irony at the end of the book. Opus was told not to change the story but he does anyway. When the Grandma wakes up and sees this she is upset with him. After she makes him get into bed though, the book implies that she may go on her own adventure.
Text and Pictures: The text is written in rhyme. The pictures use a lot of color and are drawn to go along with the text of the book.
September 20, 2012
I absolutely loved this book. From the story to the illustrations, I thought everything about it was great. The story is somewhat difficult to follow at first but once you understand what is going on it is fabulous. Opus is tired of his granny reading him the same bed time story so he decides to make up his own story in which he goes to see Abe Lincoln, George Washington, elves, cows, the milky Way and to blue mist lagoon. Kids would absolutely love this story because it is extremely unique and tells a great story. I really enjoyed all the rhyming that goes on in the story. I think it adds a little something and makes it much more enjoyable. This is definitely one of my favorite children books that I think every child should read. The illustrations are also great. They are big and very unique. One of my favorite pictures was the one with the cows in space. I thought that was something that children would find hilarious and absolutely love. I highly reccomend this book to anyone!
November 5, 2017
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade level: Lower Elementary
The illustrations in this book are very realistic and really make the pages come to life. However, the overall plot of the book is not as enjoyable.
Grade level: Lower Elementary
The illustrations in this book are very realistic and really make the pages come to life. However, the overall plot of the book is not as enjoyable.
November 29, 2008
Berkeley Breathed wrote this book for everyone that loved the childhood book "Goodnight Moon," but like his kids always took it one step further and were often told by teachers to stick to the text only. I am guilty as charged for being one of those kids that's why I adore this book. His main character Opus departs from the text by creating his own narrative letting his imagination go wild. His nanny who always told him to stick to the text and never use his imagination ends up learning a valuable lesson: Never squash imagination. Sometimes it's good to depart from the text :)
I think adults should read children's books once in awhile. It reminds one of basic lessons that should never be lost even in a harsh world.
I think adults should read children's books once in awhile. It reminds one of basic lessons that should never be lost even in a harsh world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2012
Is it weird that I'm adding a story book that I used to nag my mother to read out loud? Who cares? This book is one of my all-time favorites. It may not be intellectually challenging, but it's all about getting carried away and letting your imagination run wild. I adore it and now I'm the one being nagged by my little brothers to read it out loud.
CAUTION: This book is intended for children. Anyone over the age of 18 should be accompanied by a kid guardian during reading. If a suitable minor cannot be located, a pair of bunny jammies should be worn for the duration of reading. Please help to maintain these minimum standards.
CAUTION: This book is intended for children. Anyone over the age of 18 should be accompanied by a kid guardian during reading. If a suitable minor cannot be located, a pair of bunny jammies should be worn for the duration of reading. Please help to maintain these minimum standards.
September 9, 2016
This book was alright. I like how it talked about imagination, and reading beyond the text to imagine what you think the ending of the story could be. The pictures were cute, and I especially liked the used of color versus black and white. The rhyming reminded me a lot of a Dr. Seuss book; however, this book was nothing special.
I would read this to a younger class maybe second though fourth grade, or even just have in the classroom for them to read. I could use this book as a writing prompt where the students have to write about where they would go if they were telling the world goodnight.
I would read this to a younger class maybe second though fourth grade, or even just have in the classroom for them to read. I could use this book as a writing prompt where the students have to write about where they would go if they were telling the world goodnight.
April 17, 2008
CIP/Summary: Bedtime becomes somewhat frantic as Opus the penguin checks out his moonlit room and imagines what might be lurking in its shadowy corners.
Goodnight Opus is a fantastic bedtime tale that encourages us to let our imaginations "depart the text" of our traditional stories and dream outside the lines. Berkeley Breathed's illustrations are beautiful and the fantstical story is as much fun for adults as children.
Positivley reviwed by Booklist and School Library Journal.
Goodnight Opus is a fantastic bedtime tale that encourages us to let our imaginations "depart the text" of our traditional stories and dream outside the lines. Berkeley Breathed's illustrations are beautiful and the fantstical story is as much fun for adults as children.
Positivley reviwed by Booklist and School Library Journal.
February 18, 2009
Author: Berkeley Breathed
Year Published: 1996
Reading Level: early
Issues Addressed: Creativity
Classroom Uses: Read-Aloud, Partner Reading, Individual Reading
Summary: Opus, a penguin, puts on his pink bunny pajamas and listens to his grandmother tell a bedtime story; however, grandma dozes off. Opus decides to make his own story. This book has great illustrations and the rhyming and meter in the text are truly amazing.
literary Devices: Rhyme and Meter
Year Published: 1996
Reading Level: early
Issues Addressed: Creativity
Classroom Uses: Read-Aloud, Partner Reading, Individual Reading
Summary: Opus, a penguin, puts on his pink bunny pajamas and listens to his grandmother tell a bedtime story; however, grandma dozes off. Opus decides to make his own story. This book has great illustrations and the rhyming and meter in the text are truly amazing.
literary Devices: Rhyme and Meter
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews