Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) rocks this mock bedtime story, capturing a hilarious range of emotions as the voice of a father struggling to get his child to sleep.

Go the F--k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s profane, affectionate, and radically honest verses perfectly capture the familiar - and unspoken - tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, he opens up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations and laugh at their absurdity.

Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a book for parents new, old, and expectant. Due to its explicit language, you probably should not play it for your children.

Feel free to share the link to this page with tired parents and other people who could use a good swear and a laugh.

©2011 Adam Mansbach. Cover Illustration © 2011 Ricardo Cortes. (P)2011 Audible, Inc. Literature & Fiction Satire Comedy Funny Witty Suspenseful

About the Performer

Appearing in well over 100 films, Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Jackson’s portrayal of Jules, the philosopher hitman, in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made an indelible mark on American cinema. In addition to unanimous critical acclaim, he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Jackson can most recently be seen starring alongside Maggie Q in Lionsgate’s The Protégé. Jackson can also be seen reunited with Salma Hayek and Ryan Reynolds for Lionsgate’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Earlier in 2021, Jackson starred in the newest Saw sequel, Spiral, with Chris Rock and Max Minghella.
In 2020, Jackson was seen in the EPIX docuseries Enslaved, which he also executive produced with LaTanya Richardson Jackson. He also starred opposite Anthony Mackie in the Apple drama The Banker.
Jackson’s career began onstage upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts.

Critic reviews

"Total genius." (Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn, father of two)
"A children's book for grown-ups! I really did laugh out loud - hilarious!" (David Byrne, musician, father of one)
"Finally, someone tells it like it really is. This is no-guilt funny and a godsend!" (Cristina Garcia, author of The Lady Matador's Hotel, mother of one)
"The viral phenomenon comes to audio in this clever adaptation of Mansbach's "children's book for adults." NOT a family-friendly listen, this audio will have you giggling and looking around to see if anyone else heard what just came through the speakers. Samuel L. Jackson, known for his foul-mouthed onscreen characters to begin with, is a perfect choice for such a lovingly irreverent audiobook. The desperation in his voice rises as the child, who is the object of the parental pleading, refuses to cooperate. By the end, both seasoned and expectant parents will be alternating between laughing and cringing at the exasperation in Jackson's tongue-in-cheek narration. The production begins with a casual introduction from Jackson, which appears to act as an apology for what's to come, as if Jackson (and author, producers, etc.) wants to assure the listener not to worry—despite everything, we DO love our children very much. Even when they refuse to go the f--k to sleep." ( AudioFile)
Relatable Parental Experience • Cathartic Humor • Perfect Vocal Delivery • Authentic Emotional Portrayal • Emotional Range
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OMG. My son is 23 now, and I just played this for him ... can't wait until he has one of his own! I just about wet myself when Samuel got to the movie & popcorn bit ... can't believe how many times that actually happened. And, admit it or not, this is EXACTLY what goes thru your head while you're reading (and reading, and reading, and reading...) your child -- the f@%k to sleep. Couldn't have chosen better than Samuel Jackson! (Love you Sam!)This if f%$king BEAUTIFUL!

If you've ever read a child to sleep - beautiful!

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Thank you for being here for us. What a great freebie. I don't really have much left to say but will add this sentence to get to the minimum. How this turned my day around!

Dear Audible:

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I don't have kids and was still LMAO listening to Samuel L. Jackson read this book! I bought a copy of the book for my sister who has two children and can't wait to share the audiobook with her. Mr. Mansbach, you're my hero. And, Mr. Jackson, no one could be more perfect to narrate this book. Well done, sir, well done.

F**kin' hysterical!!

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Absolutely hilarious book made even better by Samuel L. Jackson's patient yet frustration-ridden narration. My hat's off to Adam Mansbach for writing one of the funniest bedtime stories.

Why won't you go the f--k to sleep??

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I can not express to you how this book makes me delightfully pee my pants

Sheer Joy and Giggles

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I like the idea of a dramatic reading from Samuel Jackson, and the story is clever, short, and funny enough. I was chuckling and stifling a few out loud laughs and the pictures conjured up. A+ on creativity of the rhymes.

That being said, the first 30 seconds with Jackson talking about his own 'sleeping' experiences with his daughter added nothing to the read. This easily could have used a little ambient sound effects for a more dramatic flair. Lastly, while I understand the use of the 'f___' word is the schtick here, the author is a little too liberal with its use and maybe detracts a bit for me.

Crude, rude, yet funny

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This is the best bedtime story ever.... Samuel L. Jackson should get an Oscar for his performance.

Fantastic

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Would you listen to Go the F--k to Sleep again? Why?

Over and over and over! It's exactly what every parent wants to tell their child when trying to get them to sleep. It's hilarious.

What other book might you compare Go the F--k to Sleep to and why?

I can't think of another book that would even come close to comparing to Go the F--k to Sleep. It's in a class all by itself.

What about Samuel L. Jackson’s performance did you like?

It's Samuel L Jackson, what's not to like? He does such a fantastic job of portraying the desperation a parent feels in trying to get their kids to go to sleep. You know right away that he's been in this situation and understands what other parents feel.

If you could rename Go the F--k to Sleep, what would you call it?

A Parent's Bedtime Story

Any additional comments?

Love it!!!

This is what every parent WANTS to say

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...because this is awesome. And narrated by SAMUEL L. JACKSON, muthatrucker!! Great comedic timing in his narration, coupled with genuine parental angst.

I can't get mad at all the cussing...

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Short, but sweet as f@&k. SLJ perfect narrator for this book. Now I don't think I'll be playing this anytime soon for my kids, but my wife will definatly get a kick out of it.

SLJ perfect for this narration.

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