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

by Lucy Knisley

Following the completion of her pregnancy memoir Kid Gloves, and the birth of her baby, Lucy Knisley embarked on a new project: documenting new motherhood in short, spontaneous little cartoons, which she posted on her Instagram page, and which quickly gained her a huge cult following among other moms.

The best of those wildly popular little cartoons are collected in this adorable book, Go to Sleep (I Miss You), a perfect read for parents, and for anyone who loves funny, relatable comics.

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

178 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2020

About the author

Beginning with an love for Archie comics and Calvin and Hobbes, Lucy Knisley (pronounced "nigh-zlee") has always thought of cartooning as the only profession she is suited for. A New York City kid raised by a family of foodies, Lucy is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago currently pursuing an MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies. While completing her BFA at the School of the Art Institute, she was comics editor for the award-winning student publication F News Magazine.

Lucy currently resides in New York City where she makes comics. She likes books, sewing, bicycles, food you can eat with a spoon, manatees, nice pens, costumes, baking and Oscar Wilde. She occasionally has been known to wear amazing hats.

She can be reached via e-mail at lucylou@gmail.com.

(copied from http://www.lucyknisley.com/about on 12/31/08)

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Knisley likes to use sequential art to record her big life events. She chronicled her journeys toward marriage and through pregnancy in, respectively, Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride and Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, and in Go to Sleep (I Miss You), she shares the funny, frustrating, and mystifying ups and downs of raising her baby son.

Knisley’s life is bland and typical, so the appeal of her books depends on her unpretentious personality and relatable scenarios. This newer one is plotless, having originated as private sketchbook cartoons, a “hand-drawn baby book,” as she puts it. She talks about the “haze” of new parenthood, and the scatteredness of Go to Sleep (I Miss You) reinforces that. Chapters impose some organization, dividing the snapshots by topics, such as her baby’s eating and the chaotic life of a parent. Her illustrations are in black and white and overall not as polished as those in Something New and Kid Gloves, but they’re still clean, with tidy lettering and generous white space.

Knisley is genuine in what she shares with the world, and anyone who’s had a baby will recognize themselves in at least some of these pages. Parents and prospective parents will most enjoy this cute book, an honest and empathetic contrast to rigid baby-care books.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Loz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oof. Yes.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vaguely remember doing this three times.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Caitlin Grabarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was delightful!

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely helped right now! <3

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Either send help or a man, for I have discovered my ovaries.

edit I’m sorry for my wording but the fever is real.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 but rounding up. I had my first baby about three months after Knisley had Pal. I followed her Instagram at that time and also subscribed to her on Patreon. The images she did during this time helped me a lot to feel more normal about how overwhelming and chaotic my life as a new mom felt. It felt like someone reaching through the computer to say don’t worry we’re all going through this. I was really excited for this book but thought there would be a bit more structure to it to help it along. Reading it now with two kids I don’t have the same visceral reaction to the images either, which isn’t her fault—this collection just struck me differently at a different point in my life. All the new parents stereotypes just feel trite and boring once you’ve had more than one kid and have mom friends who’ve been through it all (mostly).

[Darcy Roar · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel can be read in less than 30 minutes. I have read everything that Lucy Knisley has written and this was my least favorite book, perhaps if I had a newborn I would have enjoyed it more.

[Nore · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Isabella Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makowicki, don’t be surprised if this shows up on your doorstep in the next few weeks

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything Lucy does, I wish I was a graphic novel mom like her!

[Kyle Dinges · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really hit different this time around,🥹

[M Aghazarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Would make a nice gift

[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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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...