Duchess Meghan’s ‘The Bench’ is #1 on the NY Times’ Children’s books list

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality!

The Bench was released on June 8th, just four days after the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to Lilibet Diana. Meghan didn’t do any traditional promotion for the book – there were zero TV interviews, newspaper interviews or magazine profiles. It was a gamble and that gamble turned into a flex. The Bench is now #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list for children’s books. To celebrate, Meghan released a statement to the Sussexes’ site, Archewell.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex’s debut children’s book, The Bench, is #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list for children’s picture books after being released just last week. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project.

The Bench started as a Father’s Day poem for her husband, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, and expanded into a children’s book with imagery that captures moments of love and shared experiences between a diverse group of fathers and sons. Alongside the Duchess’s words are watercolor illustrations by Christian Robinson that bring the gentleness and joy to life.

“While this poem began as a love letter to my husband and son, I’m encouraged to see that its universal themes of love, representation and inclusivity are resonating with communities everywhere. In many ways, pursuing a more compassionate and equitable world begins with these core values. Equally, to depict another side of masculinity — one grounded in connection, emotion, and softness — is to model a world that so many would like to see for their sons and daughters alike. Thank you for supporting me in this special project.”

The Bench was released on June 8 in partnership with Random House Children’s Books in the US, Tundra Books and Puffin in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.

[From Archewell]

At some point – it doesn’t have to be today – we do need to talk about how Meghan is writing Archwell posts and writing about herself in the third person! She used to do that with the SussexRoyal Instagram too. It’s cute and funny. Anyway, I’m very happy for her. This was a nice way for her to enter the publishing world, and I would imagine that she has plans for additional children’s books too. Sources have talked about that for a while, and beyond the histrionics about Meghan possibly writing a “tell-all,” I think she’ll probably stick to kids’ books and maybe Young Adult fare.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail headline was: “Meghan Markle fails to make top 50 bestsellers with her children’s book as she loses out to high-flying Marcus Rashford.” The Mail was referring to the “UK Official Top 50 chart.” Because Dusty Saltine Island believes that they are the center of the universe. *sad clown noise* Even the DM admits that Meghan’s book will probably be very successful outside of the UK, and Penguin Random House has the rights to sell the English-language version of the book globally.

meghan the bench

Meghan Markle visits the mothers2mothers (m2m) charity in Cape Town,

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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139 Responses to “Duchess Meghan’s ‘The Bench’ is #1 on the NY Times’ Children’s books list”

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  1. Elizabeth Regina says:

    Despite the British media slating it, it was always going to get to number one. In fact, I predict it becoming one of the classic children’s picture books for years to come. All this without any PR, appearances, or book tours.

    • PEARL GREY says:

      The British media didn’t learn from the last two times they went to extraordinary lengths to try to derail Meghan’s projects (Together and Vogue’s Forces for Change), only for them to still sell out and top fastest selling and bestseller lists. In comparison, they bend over backwards to try to prop up their faves but still can’t qwhite seem to make them pop. We love to see it.

      • Brit says:

        They resent Meghan and Harry for not bowing and kissing their behinds but want their attention and need them for money. But they also resent the fact that no amount of embiggening and invisible contracts is going to make the rest of those bores interesting or dynamic. Which is why they keep harping on them because they need them, Harry and Meghan don’t need tabloids and that angers them.

      • Elizabeth Regina says:

        Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result. Their hate doesn’t sell as well as they think that’s why newspaper sales are down and their website visits are also down. Many sane people are fed up with the constant hate and know that it’s a deflection. If I were running a massie British newspaper with a known brand today, especially in these times, I will do the opposite of hate-mongering and report decent factual news as there is huge untapped market out there.

    • Mercury says:

      I just bought a copy on amazon.ca and the daily mail has hired reviewers to give it 1 star. These people will go to every length to being Megan down. If you can write a review of the book to support her, please do!!!

      • equality says:

        In the US Amazon only allows reviews from confirmed purchasers because of this type issue. I wonder why they don’t do that in Canada or are these reviewers buying the book?

      • heygingersnaps says:

        They are doing the same on Amazon UK, all the negative reviews aren’t even verified purchases, I’ve reported loads for abuse.

    • Louise177 says:

      It’s funny the British media is trying to claim the book is a failure. They basically buried that it was the #1 children’s book in England. Since it’s a niche book, being top 50 overall was going to be unlikely.

      • MsIam says:

        To be so bitter about a children’s book is insane. With all that heat they are in danger of spontaneously combusting.

      • Powermoonchrystal says:

        Wait, so they were comparing her book to all best sellers, not just children?! These people. They really are a stain for journalism in the UK

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        It is quite comical the lengths the BM’s will go to discredit Meghan in any way, always and all ways. The BM’s were most likely never asked to review the book-they chose to as opportunity to show more hate. There are people who would love to have a book reviewed by a known paper/online source even if it’s a tabloid and it doesn’t happen. They wanted to shade Meghan and it backfired.

        Congratulations to Meghan & Christian on being #1 on a NYT list!

    • Moxylady says:

      God. She is lit from within. She glows. I love her. And wish peace, contentment and joy to be a steady companion for her, Harry, A and L. Blessings on them.

    • Osty says:

      Elizabeth Regina they will need professionals and sane pple to make that happen and as far as we know most of the journalists and their bosses here are idiots, grifters , racist and pathetic , so they will never report on real news because it will not serve their agenda.

  2. Rapunzel says:

    Dusty saltines cracking up again.

  3. Snuffles says:

    I think her next book should be about Guy and his journey from high kill Kentucky animal shelter.

  4. BrainFog says:

    None of the children in my family speak english (hello from europe) but I’m thinking about buying a copy nevertheless just to up the statistics and express my support.

    • Cecilia says:

      There’s a spanish version coming out. Yo no hablo español, but im going to buy it anyways.

  5. Cecilia says:

    The Girlies are UPSET over this😂

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      Of course, they are. They are too stupid to realise that THEIR outrage actually fuels sales. Every time they pan her projects they become a huge success. You cannot curse whom God has blessed. Maybe they should channel that energy into their lazy and charisma-free faves.

      • Cecilia says:

        The funniest part about this is that some derangers bought the book just so they could put up a hate review. Its hilarious!

      • Lorelei says:

        LMAO that reminds me of when all of the MAGATs “boycotted” Starbucks by…going to Starbucks and buying drinks, but then requesting that some petty name be written on it to try and make a point about…something.

    • MF1 says:

      Meanwhile Meghan is laughing alllll the way to the bank!

  6. Brit says:

    The British media and even the Australian media seem to get really angry the more Meghan and Harry don’t acknowledge them. The saltiness as if their opinions matter when Harry and Meghan have made it obvious and clear, they don’t care, they won’t work with them and will litigate in a heartbeat. No amount of interviews from deluded “journalists “, “experts” and clout chasers isn’t changing anything. She’s going to remain successful no matter what. Harry and Meghan are at peace and you can tell. All that hate and these tabloids are still losing money and value 😂 I still can’t believe there are people literally losing their jobs and self respect all because they want acknowledgement and attention from this couple. Literally, going off the deep end, lol.

    • L4frimaire says:

      That’s what I don’t understand. People willing to torpedo their career and lean hard into racism because they don’t like that she is married to Harry and won’t acknowledge their BS.

  7. Amy Bee says:

    She keeps winning and I’m happy for her after all she’s been through these last few years.

  8. Watson says:

    They feared her book would be a success and panned it, comparing her book sales to Kate’s, and giving awful reviews and throwing an accusation of plagiarism in there as well. When the tabs wage a campaign like that you know Meg’s gonna hit one out of the ball park. Mission accomplished!

    • Brit says:

      These people are dumb. The reviews and attacks didn’t stop anything like the Vogue issue, the capsule collection etc from being successful. They really believe they can control any and everything. They really want to control Harry and Meghan, especially Meghan. They seem to froth at trying to one up her and it’s not working. It seems desperate and it seems like they’re trying to reverse their stupidity in helping drive them out here trying to force them to come back with their tails between their legs. Sabotage, so you have to come back because I’ll try to ruin every endeavor but in reality I’m only making you more successful because of the Streisand effect.

    • Feebee says:

      Kate wrote a book?! I imagine I must have heard about it but it’s unremarkableness didn’t make the memory bank.

      • Elizabeth Regina says:

        She didn’t write a book. She hijacked a National Portrait gallery photography project added her name, bought coats and coat dresses then played hide and seek with the book in public view.

      • Jaded says:

        Someone ghost wrote the intro to the National Portrait Gallery book “Hold Still” and she signed it like she did it. We see right through you Kate…

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      The ratchet British press did not take into consideration pre-order sales and they took the stats from when the book was barely 12 hours old, post-release. Kate’s had been on sale for a few weeks longer and apart from being number one briefly in the UK, it was nada mas, zippo, elsewhere. Meghan’s book was number one in Australia, a number of European countries and of course in the US. Haters even hate bought The Bench so they could leave damaging reviews. However what they don’t seem to get is the fact that the more they keep driving up engagement, the more Amazon promotes the book! LOL!

      • BnlurNforever says:

        Shhhh! Don’t tell them how they assist in her success while planning her downfall. At this point it would be comical if it didn’t showcase the ugly side of our society.

  9. Sofia says:

    Not a lick of promo from her and still it’s a #1 bestseller. Well done to her and Christian. They should both be happy with the success.

  10. Loretta says:

    I’m so happy for Meghan!

  11. swirlmamad says:

    You LOVE to see it. I happily bought a copy to support. And I think she writes in the 3rd person to take the focus off of “her” — giving them one less thing to slam her for (that she’s self-absorbed, blah blah blah).

    Regardless, congrats to the duchess!

  12. Mooney says:

    Yayyy 🎊🎉🥳 Princess Meghan did it again. First the Fastest selling issues in the history of British Vogue and now this.😍🤩

    The other one’s fans are crying nepotism!!! Can you believe it 😂 like people, your faves are a whole example of nepotism 😂🤣

    • swirlmamad says:

      😂🤣😂🤣😂 NEPOTISM???!?!?? Pot meet kettle. The funniest part is these morons lack so much self-awareness (just like the folks leading them around by their noses) that they have no idea how beyond stupid they sound.

    • BnlurNforever says:

      How are the explaining this nepotism? Do they know the meaning of the word? Does Meghan has relations in publishing I don’t know about? Is she related to all the people purchasing the book? How exactly does that definition fit here?

      • JT says:

        Yeah, where is the nepotism angle coming from? My brain is hurting from trying to figure it out.

      • Lorelei says:

        They definitely don’t even know what nepotism is because that makes no sense.

        And the entire audacity of complaining about nepotism when their faves are only known because of who their parents are!!

    • Ann says:

      Reminds me of one of the “Hamilton” rap battles where Jefferson boasts about how the South is wealthy while New York is in debt:

      “A civics lesson from a slaver, hey neighbor –
      your debts are paid cuz you don’t pay for labor!”

  13. Harper says:

    Congratulations to Meghan. British need to remember she’s an American and making the #1 on NYT list is the goal.

  14. Eurydice says:

    Is she writing about herself in the third person? This looks like a statement from an Archewell spokesperson. Congrats to Meghan!

    • Lara says:

      No, k****r seems to weirdly not understand that marketing and communications professionals are hired to write in the voice of their clients and organizations.

    • Legalese says:

      A lot of the statements that Archewell puts out on the website are totally written by Meghan – it’s her distinctive writing style to a T. And there’s nothing wrong with that! I love that she has all these people working for her but she still wants to do it herself. It shows she’s passionate and cares about the work. Keen would never!

      • BnlurNforever says:

        I don’t know if it’s her writing all the posts, or someone writing them with her touches here or there, but I like the professionalism of the site. It doesn’t matter to me if she’s the one writing them, in fact I hope she is because I know she enjoys that kind of thing and she must really miss her Tig website.

      • Eurydice says:

        The quote certainly sounds like her, but the rest might not be. I don’t really care and wouldn’t have brought it up, except K mentioned it. To me, it seems important that Meghan still be known as the Duchess of Sussex, but also weird if she used the first person, like “I, the Duchess of Sussex…”, so the more distant 3rd person seems right.

  15. Over it says:

    Not even pickles need the uk, and they are soaked in salt water. So proud and happy for Meghan. Considering what she went through at the hand of those heartless b—tches. She deserves nothing but success and happiness

  16. Emily says:

    Who cares about the British market? The US has more people and just as many 2021 Eurovision points as the UK.

    • Jan says:

      Since the US was not in the competition 0 and UK 0, that was funny.

    • GrnieWnie says:

      exactly! I’ll never understand why Brits, post-Brexit even, continue to think the world revolves around them. It revolves around the American, EU, and Chinese markets. End of story.

      • Nina says:

        Because they still suffering under the delusion that they are still an empire.
        They need to follow Rome and Venice’s leads. Both major empires in their day. Get rid of the Royals and turn those castles and historic buildings into money-making machines.

    • Brit says:

      The problem is that they want Harry and Meghan to care about them. Harry and Meghan care about their patronage’s and people who they help but the media and others there want to be apart of their story and success so badly, which is why they keep harassing and abusing them. Nothing is working.

    • Gail says:

      Fun Fact: Canada (whole country) has the population of California (a single state). I learned this a few days ago and am still blown away. I really didn’t understand the enormous population difference till recently. So compared to England…
      These “reporters” are crazy to ignore the rest of the world……more specifically, what the United States are saying about them now.

      • Here’s another set of fun facts that help put the British 🐀media and commentators in perspective. Basically, the entire United Kingdom is the size of Michigan or Oregon, or Wyoming.
        U.S. STATES THAT ARE LARGER THAN THE UK
         1. Alaska is equal to 7.05 UKs
        2. Texas is equal to 2.86 UKs
        3. California is equal to 1.74 UKs
        4. Montana is equal to 1.56 UKs
        5. New Mexico is equal to 1.29 UKs
        6. Arizona is equal to 1.21 UKs 
        7. Nevada is equal to 1.17 UKs
        8. Colorado is equal to 1.11 UKs
        9. Oregon is equal to 1.04 UKs
        10. Wyoming is equal to 1.03 UKs
        11. Michigan is equal to 1.03 UKs

    • Eleonora says:

      I’m not even British but I felt the hurt of that Eurovision comment 😀

    • Jay says:

      Dang, Emily, that’s ice cold! True though 😆.

  17. Jan says:

    Marcus Rashford is an upstanding young man, I’m sure the Sussexes will be happy about his book success. Was his book a children’s book?
    He Is doing more to feed hungry children in England than the government was, and now he wants to make sure they have books to read.
    He is a punching bag for the BM also, because he is a rich, successful black man.

  18. Feebee says:

    I’m not at all worried it’s popularity is partly made up of the purchasers’ desire to flip the bird at the BRF and the Salty Isle. Any and all Sussex successes are richly deserved, long may they continue.

  19. Nev says:

    Go on Duchess!!

  20. Jan says:

    To be on The NY Times best seller list, you have to sell 5 to 10 thousand books in a week.

    • Bella says:

      Not only 5k to 10k books in one week, if they have to be sold with a certain diversity in selling areas. For example it can’t be 10,000 copies to Barnes & Noble or it can’t be 5,000 copies to another company.

      I’m not sure what the exact criteria is but I do know that it has to be sold in different avenues

  21. BabyLawyerIncoming says:

    I’m expecting my first baby soon and got this book at my baby shower. I love children’s books (everything from Goodnight Moon to Bridge to Terebithia) so I was really excited for this present. Not to be a downer, but it . . . wasn’t great. The illustrations are BEAUTIFUL and for that reason alone I’ll read it with Baby, but the actual text is super clunky. I’m happy for Meghan that her book did well but I’m guessing the sales have been (and will continue to be) driven by her American fans because of who she is, and not because of her writing skill. Or maybe it’s because the illustrations have gotten such good press? As much as I hated the writing in The Bench, I loved her choice of illustrator so I might keep buying her books if she keeps collaborating with amazing artists.

    • Mir says:

      Goodluck with your baby but you can keep your passive aggressive bitchiness….it doesnt excuse your badly hidden xenophobia and your very obvious Karen vibes. Tou dont wish her well and her success and happiness are thankfully not determined by trolls like you

      • OriginalLala says:

        wow, was this really necessary?

      • The Hench says:

        Hey now Mir. People can support Meghan without agreeing with or praising every single thing she does. Just like you can disagree with BabyLawyerIncoming’s opinion of Meghan’s writing without making it into a personal attack that accuses her of being a xenophobic Karen.

      • TeamAwesome says:

        I mean, the last few lines ARE a bit clunky, and I say this as someone who is firmly Team Sussex, down to my proudly displayed thank you note on Sussex letterhead that I got as an acknowledgement for a card I sent the Duchess. It is still a beautiful debut.

      • Watson says:

        Mir: I thought the critique was fair. Not everyone is a fan of her writing but many are fans of her because she supports Feminist causes, diversity and inclusion. I’m in this camp as well. I wish her every success, and would buy her books based on the philosophy behind it, and whomever she illustrated with in future.

      • Jaded says:

        @Mir: That was unnecessarily harsh. Everyone on this site doesn’t march to the beat of the same drum and are allowed to have differing opinions. BabyLawyerIncoming wasn’t going after Meghan in some hateful or passive-aggro manner so dial it down a notch OK?

      • WinnieXi says:

        Yikes Mir. The OP patiently explained herself and you guys should calm down and apologize. Do you expect no one to ever say something Meghan related like writing, clothes, a speech, her acting, a project she acted in, was not the best or not their favourite, or boring etc? Aren’t the comments here to meant to honestly discuss reality? She has had some bad outfits here and there and even Kaiser has covered that so it’s not out of place for anyone who has read her book to give an honest review of her book here.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Mir, that was totally out of line and unhinged. There is NOTHING in her comment that justifies you calling her xenophobic. Your comment is filled with “bitchiness”, while her comment contains none.

    • Eurydice says:

      deleted

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Lol STFU. You’re parroting the same BS I see from trolls planning to put the book down in a supposedly ‘nice’ way to seem legitimate. Sorry but the “not great” and “sales are driven by her American fans” comments are clear flags that they’ve been pushing.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Good news is, the trolls are now required to purchase a copy of the book in order to leave their hateful reviews. So they’re putting money in Meghan’s pocket.

    • equality says:

      And yet you claim to love Goodnight Moon which isn’t exactly great poetry. (No offense to MWB since I realize it’s a children’s book and meant to be simple rhymes.) Your post is not convincing at all.

      • Cookie says:

        Hi equality, it’s not about great poetry, it’s about understanding what appeals to a child in a fundamental way and works with their brain development. The repetition in Good Night Moon is deliberate and the prose mimics child speech patterns. This isn’t accidental — Brown had extensive experience in language and was a part of a new movement to better understand the way children communicate. As an adult, some of it strikes my ear in a funny way, but I can appreciate why my daughter loves it.

      • equality says:

        For the very young child that is fine and to learn to read, repetition is fine but if you want your child to develop and think you need variety and new words and things that stimulate new ideas. Also, I assume BabyLawyer is an adult saying she loves Good Night Moon so your point doesn’t follow along with her statement.

      • Cookie says:

        Let me see if I can track it this way, equality: You dismiss her opinion of the the bench because she loves a second book, based soley on your subjective opinion of that other (very different!) book. That’s some next level circular reasoning.

    • BabyLawyerIncoming says:

      I don’t plan to engage with replies that call me a bitch, xenophobic, or a troll for expressing my opinion, but to the extent people read the book and loved the writing, I’m happy to talk about that! People are allowed to have differences of opinion about literature, no matter who the author is. As I said in my original post, the illustrations are amazing, and I give Meghan a lot of credit for selecting Christian Robinson and working with him to have such inclusive, beautiful images in the book.

      Best wishes to everyone 🙂

      • Plums says:

        I consider myself a Sussex fan too and omg, stan culture is really ridiculous sometimes. Meghan isn’t perfect, people! Not everything she does is beyond critique just because she does it! She’s a human being, and she’s not a great children’s book author. It is what it is.

      • BABSORIG says:

        @Babylawyerincoming, you could have critiqued the book without dissing “American fans” that was tacky. The book was liked by many other people around the world and not everyone that bought and supported Meghan is “her American fans”. You do have a right to critique and express an opinion but you don’t have the right to diss people that you really don’t know personally. Your comments are the reason you are bring labeled a xenophobic.
        You didn’t like the book because it’s “clunky”, fair enough, but what makes you think everyone else that bought it did so because they’re her American fans” and absolutely not because Meghan’s writing appeals to them?

      • KW says:

        deleted

      • TEALIEF says:

        +1 @ LORELEI!, thank you. @ BabyLawyerIncoming, I agree, the writing could have been tightened (her editor), and I write this while admiring Meghan, (I do), where and how she stands in centering her life, and what she advocates for. I pre-ordered the book because I love children’s books too, and I buy them to give to new parents, and, in this instance, to support someone deserving. I am longtime lurker as well and only commented for the first time last week for reasons much the same as yours. I find that the comments to be diverse and  intelligent with a good amount of humour. Good luck with the baby and take care.

    • Nyro says:

      It’s the shade toward the “American fans” that really gives you away. All that hatin’ yet you still bought the book. Thank’s for contributing to her success. 😂

      • BabyLawyerIncoming says:

        I mentioned American fans because we’re talking about the NYT bestseller list. Doesn’t that reflect book sales in the United States? If I’m wrong, feel free to correct me.

        Also, I didn’t actually buy the book, I received it as a baby shower gift 🙂 But I’m not at all “shading” or “hating” that my friend bought it! On the contrary, I’m happy that the book is doing well – I like books that emphasize father-child relationships, especially since my husband is going to be our baby’s primary caretaker, and I love the illustrations. I just don’t like the text. I was reading out loud (cheesy to do that while baby is still in utero, but she kicks a lot when I read so I keep doing it!) and the poem sounded really awkward/clunky when read out loud *in my opinion*

    • Lizzie says:

      It’s quite a leap from you ‘hating’ Meghan’s writing to the ONLY reason it is a best seller is because Americans are buying the book because they are fans and not because they think it’s a good book. Fair enough you don’t like it but that in no way equates to no one else likes it.

      • BabyLawyerIncoming says:

        I appreciate the explanation!! As I mentioned, the reason I specifically mentioned “American” fans is because we’re talking about a bestseller list for book sales in the United States (at least, that’s my understanding of the NYT bestseller list but feel free to correct me). I don’t think it’s controversial to say that books written by celebrities/public figures often get a sales boost from fans – in fact, the friend who gave me the book was excited to tell me that she bought me “Duchess Meghan’s book” because we had watched the wedding together, and multiple people on this post alone have mentioned buying the book to support Meghan. That’s why I said that “I guessed” sales were being driven by her fans, but obviously, that’s just my guess and it’s totally fair for other people to chime in and say they liked the writing and think the book sales are being driven by people who like the writing!

      • Lorelei says:

        @BabyLawyerIncoming I adore Meghan and agree with everything you said. My child is a little too old for the book, but I pre-ordered a copy just to support Meghan, and I also downloaded the audio version because I find her voice so soothing, lol. And ITA with you that the gorgeous illustrations alone are worth the price of the book. I’m so happy that her debut is such a huge success.

        But I agree that the actual text of the book isn’t great. I certainly don’t think it’s terrible, and I love the message, but imo it’s just not particularly well-written. I say this as someone who is firmly Team Sussex and always has been.

        I will purposely leave Meghan five stars and positive reviews on both Amazon and Audible just to counteract those assholes who are bashing it solely because they don’t like Meghan, and I’m thrilled that she made the NYT bestseller list because after everything she endured over the last few years, she deserves nothing but positivity and success going forward.

        I don’t know when this site turned into a place where no one can ever say anything implying that everything Meghan does isn’t 100% perfect and still truly be a fan. People get torn apart here if they start a sentence with, “I love Meghan, but…,” and I genuinely do not understand why, because it is *absolutely possible* to adore and support her yet not agree with every single thing she ever does, says, or writes— I’m proof of that. I don’t trash her by any means; I think the most negative thing I’ve ever thought or said about Meghan was agreeing with Kaiser that the intro to her Vogue issue was a little too flowery for my taste, and I don’t even really consider that negative— it’s just a matter of personal taste.

        Anyway, good luck with the baby, and I hope you keep commenting with honesty like you did today. The site is more interesting when people feel free to share their honest opinions and there’s some debate, as opposed to commenters feeling like we can never give Meghan (or Harry) some constructive criticism. JMO

      • Watson says:

        I fully agree Lorelei!

      • BabyLawyerIncoming says:

        Lorelei, thank you for the good wishes on BabyLawyer! Getting and staying pregnant was a challenge so we’re incredibly grateful to be expecting our first in a few weeks (although I probably won’t relax fully until I’m holding her!). I hope you have some great books that you’re reading with your older child, I can’t wait to get to the chapter book stage 🙂

        As for commenting more, I usually avoid internet comments entirely because of my job (there have been some *scandals* with federal prosecutors and other government employees commenting on political/legal stories). I thought sharing my opinion on a children’s picture book would be fairly innocuous . . . oops! But celebrity gossip is my guilty pleasure so I’ll keep lurking 👀 I appreciate you sharing your take on the book!

    • Natalie C Tyler says:

      I have NOT read the book but I like the idea of reading rhymes and verse to children. We get a great sense of music from Mother Goose and other poems. They may be nonsense but it’s great to get the rhythms of rimes into the life of children. I do commend her for choosing rhyme.

  22. AVEA says:

    Good for her and Christian! It’s a gorgeous book, I hope they get to collaborate again sometime

  23. Abena Asantewaa says:

    Why compare it with Marcus Rushford book, which is not a Picture Book, oh I forgot he is black, how racist! I am sure Rashford himself would find this offensive, pitting one black against the other; the old colonial formula; divide and rule! Congrats Meghan and Christian. FYI The daily mail has been smearing Marcus as well, because he dared to invest in properties with his hard earned cash, and he called them out about it on twitter.

  24. Mchica says:

    Twitter was full of praise for the wheelchair bound father pictures..it resonated with many handicapped fathers

  25. Chelsea says:

    When The Bench hit #1 on the overall Amazon Children’s list i think it was Wednesday night i knew it had a good shot at the NYTTimes lisr as it was already #1 om Apple’s Kids list ans was a bestseller af Barnes and Noble as well. What the idiots across the pond dont get is that the NYTimes list and most other lists in the US breakdown books by genre so she didnt need to have the most sold book overall just the best selling Children’s color book. (Though apparently this was the #1 Childtens Color book there too). Amazingly the bench alao was in the top 10 and the highest debut for Children’s color books on the US Indie list from Indiebound released yesterday which tallies sales at independent bookstores which is a lot of foot traffic and tends to favor older more established works on the kids side.

    This was a really nice and effortless entry for her into publishing. Im sure if she ever does a memoir or books for adults she will do promo but it’s such a huge flex to do no promo, while trolls online are trying to sabotage your reviews and criticizing you for not doing promo, and land a #1 New York Times Bestseller. Superstar tings

  26. Legalese says:

    Lol about Meghan writing these things herself – I thought the same thing!! Her style of writing is just so distinctive. I think it’s cute though.

    • SomeChick says:

      This is how press releases are written. I’ve had to write a publicity bio in 3rd person, and it does feel weird, but that’s how it’s done.

  27. Curious says:

    Catherine didn’t write a book, she had people send in pics and she took those pics and made it into a book.a book about the pandemic,pics of people in pain,pic of tired nurses,docs ,docs and nurses dying while treating people with covid19..its easy to find in each country on the internet ,pics of what is happening. the silence,no children out playing ,no cars on the road and so on. Meghan wrote a book for children/parents .to get closer to their children. the book is like a guide to help parents. many mix children out there need to know they are special and loved by their parents . and being a mix child is not a curse. the book might make parents think and not take everything for granted. even 10 mins of love can work wonders at bed time. my regret is i read little red riding hood to my 1st child, he was scared of the wolf. he was 5 when i read it to him , cause he borrowed it from the library when we went there every wednesday. he was so scared to even sleep alone. he thought the wolf will eat his granny.

  28. El says:

    I appreciate how they have also put the illustrator, Christian Robinson, front and center. The art in children’s books is so important to the enjoyment of the book. Usually when a famous person writes a children’s book, I don’t hear about the illustrator.

  29. Mandy says:

    I find it frustrating why people think Meghan is in control of the Archewell website and even before with Sussex Royal. She has people hired to do that. We even know their names. Meghan is just minding her business, being postpartum and breastfeeding her baby. She probably isn’t running the entire show in the way that people believe she is.

    Anyway, yay! I was waiting for the book to creep up onto the NYT bestsellers list. It was only a matter of time. The naysayers are already calling it nepotism. Lol I forgot about the wormhole where Doria is somehow the head of New York Times haha. Nepotism? How trivial and stupid. They really are bitter and jealous at the success of the Duchess the world is talking about and not the one in the island who can’t even string a sentence together.

    I wonder where Hold Still is sitting at?

  30. aquarius64 says:

    Congratulations to Meghan on making the NYT bestseller list. I bet the Other Daughter Scammy is mad about this. I believe her hit piece didn’t make it there. Scammy was grossing she didn’t get an advance for her mess.

  31. Myra says:

    I have never felt the need to leave a negative review on a children’s book. I don’t even believe I’ve ever read a children’s book that I disliked. If they are targeting very young children, it’s the message (or purpose/function) that counts the most for me. What values are they teaching? What can you learn from the book etc. Teenage and adult books on the other hand, that I have time to review and dislike. I’m still waiting on my local bookstore so I can purchase my copy but if it takes too long, I might give in and go directly to Amazon.

    • Cookie says:

      I appreciate honest reviews on children’s books since buying them yourself can be a pricey investment. Having read hundreds by now, there is a vast range of quality and it’s clearly very difficult to do well. I’ve only read excerpts of Meghan’s book, but it seems like this one would fall somewhere in the middle. The pictures are incredible, and would serve as a nice talking point with my daughter where we could discuss what was going on in the scene.

      • Myra says:

        I mainly buy children books directly from the bookstore and my son and I have fun picking the ones we like, as well as the ones I think would help him the most. So I honestly never read any reviews or leave negative ones myself. The excerpts I’ve seen so far are touching, but I have no idea about the rest. Most of the online reviews I’ve seen are positive – maybe because they’re fans or maybe they really love it. I won’t bother with reviews from any media personality from the UK. It’s difficult to determine whether it’s genuine or driven by an intense dislike of anything Meghan Markle.

      • Cookie says:

        Yeah, that’s definitely a fair assessment of a UK review! I’m not in the U.S. so don’t have the opportunity to peruse bookstores for English books, hence my reliance on reviews. It’s fascinating to experience what works for a child or not. We have some lovely books that I enjoy personally but that just don’t speak to her. They’re usually ones with odd syntax, lack of flow, or not enough happening in the pictures.

      • Myra says:

        Lol, my son’s favourite books all coincidentally have a dinosaur in them.

      • Lyds says:

        I agree. Quality children’s books are a world apart from those with terrible text, gaudy pictures, and nonsensical plots (looking at you, every Disney movie-turned-book). Classics are classics for a reason and when a book can make you cry as a kid AND an adult (“Love You Forever,” “The Giving Tree”), you know they’ve hit on something universal.

        Haven’t read Meg’s book but I long to see it at a bookstore and flip through the pages like the olden days!

    • notasugarhere says:

      I tend to get them from the library first, see how well they are liked, and invest in ones that are required to be read over and over and over.

    • L4frimaire says:

      It’s a cute little book and think it definitely appeals to kids. There isn’t much text and it’s very simply written, so not for everyone. The overall theme is great but it’s based more on a simple poem than a long narration. The illustrations really resonate. A lot of the feedback is definitely influenced by who wrote it, so it is what it is. I’m happy it’s a bestseller but don’t understand all these people so upset that it is. As they say here, let the marketplace decide, and they did.

  32. Catherine says:

    I don’t think the no pre promotion was a gamble at all. The UK tabloids would have generated miles of negative stories to accompany anything she did and that would have become part of the story. Look at what they did when the book was announced. Look at what they did when she launched the Vogue issue. The Sussexes generate so much attention they had to know just that alone would equal some of the things other authors do for a launch. They knew they had a built in audience to sell to. Also, they knew they had a good book. My guess is they did a ton BTS market research on the quality of the book. Lastly is was launched in connection to Father’s Day so it would get some promo just from that. As for the books success in the UK. Right now it is #4 on the Amazon UK chart. So it certainly is being purchased. I don’t know what the criteria is for that Fail list or what time period it covered ( the NYT list covered the 6th-13th) but I find it suspect that it didn’t make the top 50. Everything the Sussexes have done has done well in the UK. If the book doesn’t make the London Sunday Times List. I’m calling BS for sure.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Catherine, it’s extremely suspect! The only way that seems legit is if their list is referring to the bestselling 50 books *of all time* or something, not just this week. Her book is definitely selling in the UK, no matter how angry that makes them.

  33. Well Wisher says:

    Congratulations to the Duchess of Sussex and Christian Robinson on being the NY Times No. 1 Children’s Best selling list after eleven days of release.
    Well Done.

  34. BnlurNforever says:

    Congratulations to Meghan and Christian on their success. I bought the book and plan to buy another to give as a baby gift to someone I know who is pregnant. I hope Meghan and Harry are enjoying their parental leave and that they find continued success in all they do.

  35. Nyro says:

    The haters are livid! Also, apparently the nearly 100 year old NYT Bestsellers list is neither reputable nor prestigious. 😂

  36. Merrie says:

    I bought a copy for my niece (4) and nephew (almost 1). Their Dad is retired military, so I’m supporting him and Meghan, and sticking it to The Firm.

    Does it still count as a nice gesture if my motives are petty?

    • Topaz says:

      @Merrie, it totally counts. I bought 21 of the books and gifted 20 of them to families, kept 1 still wrapped for my collection. My motive was to support Meghan in any way I can while doing something randomly nice.

  37. MerryGirl says:

    Congratulations Princess Meghan. NYT Best Selling author is just another accolade to add to her already amazing accomplishments. UK saltines can’t understand that the Sussex brand is global so no amount of sabotage and tearing down will stop their projects from soaring. UK is but a small island compared to the US and the rest of the world. Stay mad haters.

  38. Elizabeth Sahu says:

    Congrats to Meghan. This is a very sweet little book. I am proud of her. Agree it was a giant flex. She can do more by doing nothing than the entire palace complex can with all of the minions working. Bad A$$

  39. MMadison says:

    Just think all of that time the Brits/RF have spent trying to convince Americans to kick Meghan, Harry and Archie out of the country only to find out that WE LOVE THEM! Kate will have a children’s book out real soon……she can’t help herself. She want’s to be Meghan mini me. Oh and F Salty Island!

  40. TheOriginalMia says:

    The BM & the Meghan haters were the best promotion for this book. They were so busy hating on it on every site they could, they just brought more attention to it. Meghan is on maternity leave. We haven’t seen or heard from her in ages & she lives rent free in their minds. They’ve helped propel this lovely book to the top of the NYT Best Seller’s List. And no…that’s not nepotism, you dumb twits!

  41. MMadison says:

    And she didn’t have to hide books in parks nor have an entire salty island looking for said hidden books

  42. Jais says:

    Overall happy for her and Christian Robinson’s success.

  43. Marivic says:

    William and Kate Cambridge brand is local. The Sussex brand is global. The Royal family and the British media can only control the news fodder in the UK and can continue the domestic hate campaign against Meghan and Harry. But they have no power to destroy and decimate the Sussex global brand in the international arena. The world sees you racist UK.

  44. Likeyoucare says:

    I hope all the haters and trolls kept reading and comments about her until they got high blood eventually get a stroke.
    They deserve it. Why do you need to hate on someone who is not affecting your life is just plain crazy.

  45. EviesMom says:

    I don’t even have a young child anymore …but I bought a copy to stick it to the haters.
    Thank you, Next!