Member Reviews
I absolutely loved this, I have followed Daniel online for a while and just found this so funny, he never fails to make me laugh and make me feel poor!
This is hilarious! Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children is a collection of satire short stories about privileged daily life. Written in a 'bedtime'-ish style, this book has a bunch of children who are living a privileged life without even knowing they're privileged. Nannies, attorneys, servants, even burglars, are staying in their lane because nobody can stop this rich, proud, and rude kids.
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My favorite character here is Cosmo, since he's the most polite one--too bad he only has one story here.
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I am interested to read this book since Daniel Foxx's reel appeared when I scrolled Instagram in where Foxx read some of the stories to promote the book.
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This book was very interesting to me because it gave me a different perspective. It’s satirical and I found it to be entertaining. This would be a good gift for someone.
I saw this on NetGalley and since it was read now, I grabbed it. I’m so glad I did!
It’s a short read and so funny! One of the stories had what is now one of my favorite lines. “Kill me, whispered the cake”. That will never not make me laugh!
Such a fun read, I’ll be giving this to some friends this Christmas for sure!
Thanks to NetGalley for the funny read. All opinions are my own.
Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children by Daniel Foxx is a beautifully illustrated, irreverent look at the ultra rich, their predilection towards firing their staff at the drop of the hat, and their complete lack of empathy for other people.
I had hoped this book would consist of more humor and less ridicule, but was disappointed. While the author drew a smile from me now and then, I was mostly left shaking my head. The 'bedtime stories' are over the top, no doubt to make a point, but for me they fell somewhat flat.
Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC of #BedtimeStoriesforPrivilegedChildren to #NetGalley.
This was a very funny look into privileged and classist ideas that are unfortunately still around today - but if you need a good laugh, this book delivers. There were several moments where I laughed out loud at the book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this book and it made me have a few smirks and giggles when I was reading it!
The book is well written and it is a fun read that I read in one sitting.
I thought it was all done and put together really well and I loved the different mini stories that the book is made up of.
It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!
I loved this book, it is funny and clever and reminded me of the books I read when I was a child. The nostalgia combined with a hilarious modern and cutting twist of humour is a winning combination!
This is an awesome book. Just as funny as all Daniel's wonderful reels and tiktoks. The perfect holiday gift!
Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
'And I'm going to pretend this sherbet is cocaine!'
'You'll fit right in, said Papa.
I, of course, assumed that this book would be humorous. Maybe I might have a little chuckle. To my delight, I laughed out loud several times! This is so great!
I was quite intrigued by this book when someone posted about it in a Goodreads group so, since it was Read Now, I downloaded a copy of it. Because of the different fonts used and the fact that not all the printing was in a straight line (just like a real bedtime storybook) I had to read it on my phone since the Kindle version was all wonky. It wasn't a problem because the entire book is only 128 pages and each story consists of only a few pages. I was particularly impressed by the illustrations. They reminded me of the books my mother's relatives in Scotland used to send us when we were young. Totally different stories though! The stories are amusing but I think someone in the UK would find them more amusing than I did. The children's names are a hoot. I think this would be a cute book to gift a friend (an adult friend that is), especially if that friend is "privileged".
Thank you to Octopus Publishing US via Netgalley for providing access to an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 5, 2024
I am rating this book three stars because I feel the problem lies with me. I am from the US, and I am not familiar with this type of humor or Daniel Foxx and his comedy shows in England. I did love the artwork and the old-timey feel of the book. I did get the jokes in the book - it could be a fun coffee table book.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The premise, the title as well as the assumed sense of humor drew me into Daniel Foxx’ book. In fact, I had it on my reading list ever since I heard about it even though I am neither part of the elite nor a parent myself.
What can I say, in terms of satire of the upper classes, particularly in the realm of social media, movie stars and the (presumably) highly educated top 0.01% the stories do not disappoint.
My personal taste is a little more subtle; but if you like a ridicule of culturally rather prevalent elements such as “interesting”names or ridiculous gifts in nearly every word of the sentence, this one is for you. The graphics/drawings chosen as well as the absurdity of the short stories emphasize the point the author is trying to make perfectly.
I've been following Daniel Foxx for a while now, and his priviledged children bedtime stories are probably my favorite of his skits he does, so I already knew I'd get quite the kick out of this. Most of the stories (maybe all, my memory isn't the best) are from his skits as well, so you can read and listen along at the same time :) Really adds something special.
An absolutely giggle-inducing, sassy send-up of the upper class, full of slurry mama's busy with ozempic and cheese boards, and absentee papa's busy embezzling and having affairs, while their incredibly well-adjusted children live their own lives lol And I appreciate they kept the super Britishness of the text and didn't attempt to Americanize it, because that is a large part of the point (and charm).
My personal favorites:
The Easter Egg Hunt - human sacrifice is so in right now lol "The true lesson of Easter... always settle out of court."
Cosmo's First Day of School - a child of the custodian of his family seat has a difficult first day of school. "Don't worry', said Cosmo, 'I'm sure it's nothing a valium can't fix.'" Love to see a positive attitude!
Bartie Goes Trick or Treating - nothing more terrifying than middle management and the nouveau riche! "And she gave them a handful of Perello olives and an iPhone 16 Pro Max."
Penelope's Night Before Christmas - an incredible version of the classic poem, probably my favorite in the book lol "He chuckled and nodded, his laugh sweet as hone, And Penelope relaxed: he was clearly from money."
Loved it, though I wish there were more new stories inside! Looking forward to a part 2.
Whatever you can expect from this title, that's not what you're going to get.
The book is made up of very short stories about very entitled and privileged children, who have absolutely no touch with reality. The ending of each story will surprise you, 100% guaranteed. You'll decide if that surprise is actually surprise or shock.
Though this is not something I would usually pick, I did enjoy and got some smiles from these stories. I wouldn't read them to any kid before bedtime :-)
Thanks NetGalley and the author for my ARC of this book.
Wickedly funny! A delightful collection of satirical bedtime stories about the joys and sorrows of life as a child of the 0.01%. I personally recommend reading it at 1am while trying to rock your own privileged child back to sleep for maximum effect. Alas, I am but a mere peasant without even one nanny, but the exploits of Rupert, Cholera, and assorted friends still made me smile.
Obligatory warning that some of the humor references crime, drug/alcohol abuse, and other adult topics that may render these stories inappropriate for actual children.
This is a hilarious, tongue-firmly-in-cheek satire.
If you're looking for some laughs that might hit a little close to home, then pick this book up as soon as possible.
It would make a great holiday gift, or a fun addition to a gift exchange.
The names of these children are fantastic and honestly not too far off the mark for kids' names these days.
Some of the references will go over the heads of US readers as this is firmly set in the UK with many UK references. Not that US readers can't understand the idea behind some of the things, but a bit of the edge to the humor is lost in translation.
If you can see yourself or your children in these stories, then you have more problems than a book will solve.
A collection of bedtime stories that had me chuckling throughout. Satire at it's finest of overprivileged children and their wealthy families. I can't resist reading about parents making bad decisions and children seeing it as an example of appropriate behavior, haha.
This very fast read is for you if satire is your cup of tea!
Thanks to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for an early copy.
So let’s discuss this book…
I chuckled out loud multiple times while reading this one! Definitely not a children’s book if you had any questions about that lol. I quite enjoyed this book (took about 20 minutes to read). The only thing that could have gotten it to a 5 star for me is if it had more stories in it.
My favorite story in the book was the Christmas themed story! Very unique and absolutely amazing! This book is going to make you laugh at things you didn’t think you would laugh at before. Just overall a great read and I would recommend it to adults.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy!
Now put on your deisnger pyjamas and tuck yourself into your bespoke silk bed sheets and sip your 230 Fifth King Cocoa. It's time for a bedtime story of a type that only the lucky few get. These are not your average bedtime stories with fairies and ogres—these are stories in which Clementine rides off in her private helicopter, and Cucumber fires Nanny 2, and Coriander dresses up as poverty for Halloween, and Crumpet forces Nanny 3 to eat mud, and Caviar is *horrified* that the neighbor's dog doesn't get private French lessons, and Cashew fires Nanny 1.
I made a lot of that up,* but you get the gist. Think short, think verrrrry snarky, think definitely not appropriate for children in need of a bedtime story (except, perhaps, for those from a certain class that I do not rub shoulders with, but what do I know). I'm not sure who the ideal audience is for this, really, but I'm guessing it would go over well as a stocking stuffer or novelty book to keep on a bathroom shelf.
(If your stockings aren't already filled with blood diamonds and your bathroom shelves aren't home to the lesser of your Fabergé egg collection, of course.)
The entire thing is very ridiculous, which is exactly as intended. I think I might have preferred a bit more plot and/or character development (one character followed throughout, as in "My Naughty Little Sister"?), but then that's probably beside the point. In any case, I think you'll know just from the description whether this might be a book for you!
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*I don't have the book at hand while writing this, so I've picked arbitrary c-named foods for names (very in line with the book, I promise) and also fudged the details of the activities...except for the constant nanny abuse. It's my poor upbringing, I suppose.