Gmorning, Gnight!
little pep talks for me and you
written by Lin Manuel Miranda, illustrated by Jonny Sun
This is one of those little books you didn’t know you even
wanted until you received it. I believe Miranda began writing these little pep
talks to himself then sharing them with people on Twitter. They became so
popular that he collected some into a book which was illustrated by Jonathan
Sun.
It’s funny, how something that you know wasn’t even written
for you, can be just what you needed to hear at the moment. Miranda has a knack
for conveying comfort and motivation. 201 pages, with one page for morning and
one for night, generally. I tried to read one pairing a day, to start the day
and end it. Of course, there were times I would forget and go on my way, or
feel too rushed to do so. But it was a delightful way to start and end the day.
The illustrations are done as simple line drawings that are usually
quite lovely. The back cover shows a mug of coffee for morning and a cup of tea
for evening. The cover has a bed that looks very cozy and an old-fashioned
microphone. The spine even has a little sun and a little moon.
Unfortunately, some of the illustrations don’t really live up to the sayings, at least for me. There’s one that shows a pie of some kind but seems to have pizza toppings, like pepperoni and mushrooms. In the second drawing, it’s dripping something. Maybe it’s supposed to be cheese but it just looks gross to me.
One of my favorite illustrations is a set of keys with a cloud for the key chain, with Miranda saying, “Gmorning. Check your pockets. Got your keys? *waits* Okay, let’s go!” On the next page, a line drawing of clouds hints at a car and Miranda says, “Gnight. Check your brain. Got your dreams ready? *waits* Okay, let’s go!”
Sun definitely has a talent for conveying something with a
simple selection of thick lines, curving and/or straight, partially by
combining known elements in an unusual pairing or setting. One shows someone
putting socks on over their shoes and toothpaste on the wrong end of a brush.
Overall, the words and drawings are whimsical and delightful,
conveying humor and motivating comfort. I loved receiving this as a gift, and I
would highly recommend it as one.
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