"Good" Night Indeed

I never knew...Goodnight Moon is a story that was first published in 1947, and I had never, in my 25 years had heard of this book!

My best friend introduced me to Goodnight Moon when my son was a little over a year old, very enthusiastic and shocked that I had never heard of it before she revealed it to me. She regaled me with a tale of when she was little, she used to read this story to her little brother, and he used to love it so much, that over the years, any mention of the story would stir great memories and nostalgia for them both. The copy she gave me was none other than the coveted copy which she shared for so many years with him. It was a treasure to me all the more.

At the time, my baby was really not too interested in bedtime stories, so I put it safely away with all the other books I was given for him. I also received a copy from in-laws, which was new, and never opened. The newer one became the copy that I allowed him to play with, look at the pictures, etc.

When my son was about to turn two, I started the nightly ritual of reading stories before bed, singing songs together, and giving lots of hugs and kisses. I was weaning him from breastfeeding, so this was the perfect time to break out all of the books from storage, and try for a new night time bonding experience.


The story is about a little rabbit, getting ready for bed. It is his bedtime ritual. As you see the span of his, "Great green room", you see all of the objects that the rabbit loves, and wishes to bid a "goodnight" to, before he goes to sleep.

Another great example of how little ones can stall going to bed, as I'm sure any parent can tell you that kids get very good at! Switching between over-views of the room, which are illustrated in rich mixes of green, orange,red, blue, and yellow, to focusing on the particular objects that the rabbit chooses to say goodnight to, in black and white. For example: a picture of the cow jumping over the moon, his red balloon, his comb, his brush, the stars, his kittens, and of course the moon. It is all set to a very rhythmic pace, which is not only a key way for children to learn, but it makes it enjoyable for the adult to read aloud.


My son was a little restless at first, not sure of what to make of this new adventure, and I tried (and am still trying) very hard to establish the importance that books can hold in ones' life. When I found the old copy of Goodnight Moon I opened it, holding it so that he could look at the illustrations, as I read slowly, pointing to all the objects as the words appeared. This became a weekly reader since then. His little eyes followed everything I said, and pointed at, in quiet absorption. It did not take long for him to comprehend the words of, "A bowl full of mush", with a bowl sitting on the table, full of mush. I don't think he yet fully understands what a bowl full of mush is, then again, I'm not quite sure what a bowl full of mush is either! Does anyone still eat mush? I don't know :)

Now, he is almost four, and we still get together, at the end of the long day, to read, talk, sing and just be silly one last time before the much needed sleep. No matter what happened throughout the day, the arguments, the temper tantrums, the spill on the couch, the tears, the pouting... (and that's not to mention all the grief and attitude that my son gives me, *grin*) it really erases my tension. I now hand him the book, and he "reads" it to me. I swell with pride that he has memorized it to perfection, and that he stops from time to time, to throw in his own spin, for example, on a page that a picture of "the young mouse" appears to be warming himself by the fire, he stops, and asks me, "What's the mouse doing?" Like I am the child, and he is the parent. I allow him this small indulgence, letting him tell me what is going on in the picture, making his own story. It makes me smile...


I don't know if it is the simplicity and repetition of the story, or the magic of the loving energy that has been put into it, from years of happy memories passed down, but I hope to read Goodnight Moon with my son until he is too old, and "cool" to read it anymore. At which point, I can only hope that my best friend has a little one of her own, so that he may pass on the legacy to them, and carry on the tradition of love.


Revised version of review (Sep. 19, 00):

Goodnight Moon is a lovely, short children's story of a pre-adolescent rabbit, going through the night time ritual of saying "good night" to everything he deems important to himself. A delightful tale that your little one will surely love, and truly identify with. They will enjoy the repetitiveness of the free-style poetic nature of the style in which the writer expresses through the little rabbit. As he says good night to each of the objects not only in his room, but also stretching the sentiment to the air and heavens outside his window.

In a setting which gets your child off on a good start to a good night's sleep, illustrations that are lush with detail, and words that are relatively easy to understand, since it is centered on many common objects that they themselves might even possess, or see on a daily basis. The story is relatively short, with words that the child can easily remember, and recite themselves after only a few repeated readings of the book, if they are at a talking age. It is a book that will get requested again and again.

I would recommend this book to any parent or care-giver of a child from birth to age 6. It is not only a gentle, universal story for adults to read, but a wonderful starter for children learning to read. It will not only bring about a feeling of familiarity for your little one, but an understanding of the importance of bed time ritual.

If you don't have this book, and are a parent/care-giver/guardian of a small child who enjoys a great bed-time story, I would urge you to get a copy for yourself, and also enjoy the grand, ageless simplicity of Goodnight Moon


In the copy I have:

By Margaret Wise Brown

Pictures by Clement Hurd

Copyright 1947 by Harper & Row, Publishers Inc.
Copyright Renewed 1975 by Roberta Brown Rauch; and Edith T.Hurd, Clement Hurd, John Thacher Hurd and George Hellyer, as Trustees of the Edith and Clement Hurd 1982 Trust.