Goodnight Moon
Ultimate going-to-bed book has stood the test of time.
Parents say
Based on 13 reviews
Kids say
Based on 4 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, has been a favorite of kids and parents for generations since it was originally published in 1947. Pediatricians recommend that a child have a bedtime routine, something familiar and soothing that indicates the end of the play day and time for rest, and Goodnight Moon takes the doctor's advice. The pace, rhythm, and repetition as the little bunny says goodnight to all the things in his house and beyond work to gently lull kids off to dreamland.
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
As a fire crackles in the fireplace and the moon rises in a wintry night sky outside the windows of his bedroom, a young rabbit settles down for the night. An old lady rabbit rocks quietly in a nearby chair knitting, mittens dry in front of the fire, two kittens tumble on the carpet, and a mouse peeks out. The room grows gradually dimmer as the rabbit says goodnight to each object in his room and outside the window, then falls asleep at last.
Is It Any Good?
The rhythm is slow and calming, the rhymes are soft, the ritual of bidding good night to the familiar objects in the room is appealing. For more than 65 years this has been the ultimate going-to-bed book, the first book parents share with their children, the book kids ask for again and again, and the one parents don't mind reading again and again. It's easy to see why -- author Margaret Wise Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd do everything right. The pictures are full of interesting details -- the paintings hanging on the wall in bunny's room are of scenes from another Brown-Hurd collaboration, The Runaway Bunny.
The book is smaller than many picture books, just the right size for young hands to hold. The colors are simple and vivid, gradually getting dimmer in the room as the night sky gets brighter outside the window.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about nighttime rituals. Parents and children can incorporate goodnight wishes to favorite objects.
Book Details
- Author: Margaret Wise Brown
- Illustrator: Clement Hurd
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date: September 3, 1947
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: March 4, 2020
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