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A review by lagobond
Goodnight Already! by Jory John
3.0
3 stars. For adults who are prepared to use this book for a discussion with children on topics like relationship boundaries and respect, I would rate it 5 stars because my (borrowed) kiddos and I love this kind of humor. But on its own, I think this book isn't as good as it could be. Also, be aware that this is more of a story about bedtime than a bedtime story per se. It's pretty exciting and high-energy!
I read this together with its companions [b:I Love You Already!|25817276|I Love You Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452372986l/25817276._SX50_.jpg|45672812], [b:Come Home Already!|33913937|Come Home Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512534546l/33913937._SX50_.jpg|54879643] and [b:All Right Already!: A Snowy Story|38633492|All Right Already! A Snowy Story|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522671382l/38633492._SX50_.jpg|60245548], and they're for the most part similar enough that I'm going to summarize my opinion in one review.
What I liked:
The illustrations drew me right in. I absolutely love the punchy colors of the scenery and page backgrounds. Both the author and the illustrator did a fabulous job capturing Duck and Bear's distinct personalities. Every detail in the illustrations is spot-on, including Bear and Duck's body language. In Goodnight Already in particular, I love the addition of Bear's little pink toy bunny. Too cute.
Duck is chipper and energetic, always ready to go, loud, and excitable. Even his wallpaper is busy, and he has a picture of an alarm clock on his wall! He has zero boundaries, and seems incapable of entertaining himself. He's also entirely unobservant when it comes to Bear's moods and needs. Bear exudes quiet contentment while he's in his cozy home or hiking through the forest on his own; but he turns mopey, sluggish, and grumpy when dragged outside by his annoying neighbor. He invariably goes along with Duck's requests, but not without protest. He's obviously quite befuddled by Duck's over-the-top affection for him, and Duck's constant need for busy entertainment. Together they do a beautiful job illustrating the eternal battle between introverts and extroverts.
What I particularly liked is that both characters get their own voice, and neither is portrayed as "wrong" or "better" than the other just for their personality style. I find both of them quite relatable and endearing in their own way. I also like the moments when their interests do converge and they have some good times together, such as when Duck unexpectedly saves Bear's fishing trip in Come Home Already.
What I didn't like:
There seems to be no character development at all. Ideally I would have liked to see Duck learn to understand and respect Bear's need for peace and quiet, at least some of the time. Bear gives plenty of hints and even explicit requests to for Duck to please back off. But in (I Love You Already and All Right Already), Bear gets absolutely steamrolled, and Duck is none the wiser. Also, in All Right Already Duck first forces Bear to "have fun" outside, which ends up making Bear sick; then he forces his "help" on poor Bear, and in the end he manipulates and coerces Bear into returning the favor! This feels abusive, and made us sad.
Bear's main coping strategy is to fantasize about not opening the door, or getting new neighbors, neither of which is obviously a viable solution. (Bear refusing to open the door would also make for a pretty short book, hah!) I would like to see more emphasis on how this relationship could change, for more balance and mutual benefit.
I read this together with its companions [b:I Love You Already!|25817276|I Love You Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452372986l/25817276._SX50_.jpg|45672812], [b:Come Home Already!|33913937|Come Home Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512534546l/33913937._SX50_.jpg|54879643] and [b:All Right Already!: A Snowy Story|38633492|All Right Already! A Snowy Story|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522671382l/38633492._SX50_.jpg|60245548], and they're for the most part similar enough that I'm going to summarize my opinion in one review.
What I liked:
The illustrations drew me right in. I absolutely love the punchy colors of the scenery and page backgrounds. Both the author and the illustrator did a fabulous job capturing Duck and Bear's distinct personalities. Every detail in the illustrations is spot-on, including Bear and Duck's body language. In Goodnight Already in particular, I love the addition of Bear's little pink toy bunny. Too cute.
Duck is chipper and energetic, always ready to go, loud, and excitable. Even his wallpaper is busy, and he has a picture of an alarm clock on his wall! He has zero boundaries, and seems incapable of entertaining himself. He's also entirely unobservant when it comes to Bear's moods and needs. Bear exudes quiet contentment while he's in his cozy home or hiking through the forest on his own; but he turns mopey, sluggish, and grumpy when dragged outside by his annoying neighbor. He invariably goes along with Duck's requests, but not without protest. He's obviously quite befuddled by Duck's over-the-top affection for him, and Duck's constant need for busy entertainment. Together they do a beautiful job illustrating the eternal battle between introverts and extroverts.
What I particularly liked is that both characters get their own voice, and neither is portrayed as "wrong" or "better" than the other just for their personality style. I find both of them quite relatable and endearing in their own way. I also like the moments when their interests do converge and they have some good times together, such as when Duck unexpectedly saves Bear's fishing trip in Come Home Already.
What I didn't like:
There seems to be no character development at all. Ideally I would have liked to see Duck learn to understand and respect Bear's need for peace and quiet, at least some of the time. Bear gives plenty of hints and even explicit requests to for Duck to please back off. But in (I Love You Already and All Right Already), Bear gets absolutely steamrolled, and Duck is none the wiser. Also, in All Right Already Duck first forces Bear to "have fun" outside, which ends up making Bear sick; then he forces his "help" on poor Bear, and in the end he manipulates and coerces Bear into returning the favor! This feels abusive, and made us sad.
Bear's main coping strategy is to fantasize about not opening the door, or getting new neighbors, neither of which is obviously a viable solution. (Bear refusing to open the door would also make for a pretty short book, hah!) I would like to see more emphasis on how this relationship could change, for more balance and mutual benefit.