BuzzFlash Reviews

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

Released on May 27, 2008, this political parody of the fabled children's tale, "Goodnight Moon," is short but packs a hilariously ironic political punch. Destined to be a Bush Administration satire classic.

From an online reviewer:

This book is a great gift for almost anyone who isn't still driving around with one of those corporate logo-like "W '04" bumper stickers (most of which are found on massive gas-guzzlers inside the big bubble that is the DC beltway).

The love for the art and read-aloud rhythm of the original children's classic is evident, but this variation is certainly not for the kiddies. Bravely, the authors even included a swipe at Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Harper-Collins Publishing, publishers of "Goodnight Moon."

Most importantly the book serves as comic relief from the endless stream of bad news over the last seven years, and--unlike many humor books or anti-Bush books--there are subtle images throughout the artwork inviting repeated readings. The rhyme of the text works so well it should be required bedtime reading for stressed Americans who need a laugh to relax before dreaming of a better future.

From another online reviewer:

Great book. This book has the enlightening quality of inviting you to look at the events of the past 8 years through childrens' eyes. All of the horror and humor this book evokes is conjured with such naked simplicity, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate historical record for this administration. The illustrations compliment the text with potent imagery and symbolism. There's a lot of detail that may go unnoticed at first glance...look closely.

From the book cover:

"In this pitch-perfect parody of Goodnight Moon, we see a child-like George W. Bush tucked safely away in the confines of his own room with all the toys he's willfully destroyed, abused, or defaced. Complete with 'a quiet Dick Cheney whispering hush,' this bedtime story lets us laugh at -- and finally say goodnight to--the disaster of the last eight years."

From MediaBistro.com:

It's been just over sixty years since Margaret Wise Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd brought us the bedtime classic, Goodnight Moon. Now, Little, Brown is publishing Goodnight Bush: An Unauthorized Parody by California authors and artists (and Star Wars fans) Gan Golan and Erich Origen.

Upon first opening Goodnight Bush, I was struck that it smelled just like my old copy of Goodnight Moon. This is due to the diligence of the design team which painstakingly recreated the look and feel of the original down to the ink and paper. Every page is chock full of things that change over the course of the story, my favorite being the three lines of cocaine next to G W's bed which slowly disappear one by one. Also, while in Goodnight Moon the clock runs from 7 PM to 8:10 PM, the clock next to the Bush Bed is stuck at 9:11 PM.

There are also some strange connections between Goodnight Moon, the authors and the Bush admin. It is on Laura Bush's list of favorite books on the White House web site, and during Bush's first term, the traditional Christmas gingerbread White House included a Goodnight Moon Room. Origen and Golan met while working for Rumsfeld at a small dot-com start up and Golan unwittingly purchased Clement Hurd's (the illustrator of Goodnight Moon) old Volvo, which he drives to this day.


BUZZFLASH REVIEWS