Books

Jennifer Hilariously Reads 'Go The F*ck To Sleep'

by Emma Cueto

There are kids' books adults hate and kids' books adults love, and then there are the kids' books that are actually just for adults, namely the classic Go The Fuck to Sleep. It is beloved by adults everywhere, including as it happens Jennifer Garner, who read Go The Fuck to Sleep in a video for Vanity Fair. And from the way she doesn't shy away from any of the swear words, you can definitely tell she has children.

As anyone who's ever had to put a young child to bed can tell you, it's something that can make you want to swear more than anything in your life ever has. Which is doubly unfortunate because you are by definition in the presence of a young child, meaning you really can't swear, and then you just feel like swearing about the fact that you're not supposed to swear, and the whole thing is the worst.

Which is probably why the book Go The Fuck to Sleep (and many books like it) are so popular with adults. Written in the style of the exact children's picture book you typically read to kids before bed, it includes all the things we'd like to say to kids as they resolutely resist falling asleep. And Jennifer Garner isn't the first celebrity to do a reading. LeVar Burton did a reading not long ago, and Samuel L. Jackson recorded the audio book. Because the thing is instantly relatable.

And if you are a lucky soul who has never had to convince a child to go to sleep, rest assured that when your parents tried to put you to bed, this is what they were thinking — and Jennifer Garner is actually a little sweeter about it than most people.