Not Now, Bernard: 40th Anniversary Edition

What an intriguing book. A definite critique on parenting, and an interesting take on modern Life as a family. Is Bernard the monster? Did the monster actually eat Bernard? Is that just how Bernard's parents view him?

Loved as a kid and still love it as a father now.

who would know you can still purchase this book. Read it to our kids and now buying for our grandkids. Not the traditional bedtime story. :)

A wonderful book of parents who did not appreciate or take notices of their child.

My 4 year old loves this book.

Childhood favorite. Kids not born yet but I'm sure happy reading this! :)

I found this book while living in England, and I read it to my son. He loved it! It has just the right kind of dark humor that children love. He had me read it to him over and over again.

Cute book

It's fairly short to read and the kids love it. I enjoy it too!

A wonderful book that doesn't mince words (or pictures) to tell you the importance of paying attention to your child. It may be over 35 years old, but it is still relevant in today's busy lives. A much-needed reality check for parents.

Good condition, arrived in time.

Seul petit défaut, dans cette version, l'histoire est un peu tronquée mais elle reste géniale. Les pages cartonnées résistent aux multiples manipulations.

I have had a larger 'Not Now Bernard' book for many years now and have read it with all my children. I saw this smaller paperback was available and decided to buy it to keep handy. This book is simple enough to enable even very young children to help their parents read the story. For them, it's a story they can join in with and it has a naughty monster in it. It's a lot of fun. For parents, it's actually a good reminder that, if you don't give your children enough positive attention, they will soon turn into little monsters. My partner remarked at the sadness of the story. Yes, it is sad that the little boy doesn't get any attention from his parents. However, I should think parents who are guilty of ignoring their children, even if only very slightly, might be more affected by the story as a whole. Guilt would probably be the most common feeling when reading this book. Think about this: If the story was just about a naughty boy being eaten by a monster and made no mention of his parents' neglect of him, we would probably jump at the chance to read it to our children, in the hope it would encourage them to behave themselves. However, because the behaviour of the parents is highlighted, it makes us feel differently about the story. No-one likes to feel their parenting skills are being questioned. I'd have to ask myself...am I worried this book will upset my child, or am I worried it will upset me? Personally, I'm happy with the story. It works as a simple reader, while reminding parents to spend quality time with their children while they're young, in order to reap the benefits later.