Goodnight Moon
By Mary Dixon Weidler,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Ultimate going-to-bed book has stood the test of time.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
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
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate