GOOD Books: Cynical Children's Books Written for Adults

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September 30, 2011 • 11:00 am PDT
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In adulthood, the joy of frivolous reading disappears as we are compelled to consume endless newspaper articles focused on death, destruction, and corruption. Our mornings begin with a black cup of coffee and the dreariness of the Wall Street Journal. But there once was a time when all we worried about when we woke up was whether to eat Captain Crunch or Lucky Charms for breakfast. And at night, we curled up in bed with our footie pajamas and favorite stuffed animal as mom and dad read us a bedtime story.

Those days may be over, but you can still return to the roots of childhood and bask in the flippant pages of children’s books written for adults. These books entertain with the biting wit that only adults frustrated with reality can understand, from a parent desperately reading a bedtime story to his insomniac toddler to a bloody-yet-satisfying remake of the children's classic Pat the Bunny. Put down the iPad, step away from the Xanax, and indulge in a book that’s short, illustrated, and perfect for a momentary escape.

Jillian Anthony
Writer

Posted in: Culture

Tags: books,; good books,; children's books for adults

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