Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
A perfect charmer of a bedtime book; the real deal.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT, a bunny, a bear, an elephant, and a girl enjoy a sleepover. They jump on the bed, play hide-and-seek, bounce a balloon, and listen to a bird sing a lullaby: "Sweet sleep, Sweet sleep, Sweet sleep." Before bed, the girl reads the animals stories and suggests they all make a list of what they were thankful for that day. In the last picture, they're cuddled asleep together in bed, with the animals now looking like they might be the girl's stuffed animals.
Is It Any Good?
If you're looking for a goodnight story to read and savor again and again -- sweetly perfect and as gently paced as childhood itself -- look no farther. A bunny, a bear, and an elephant walk into a sleepover, assisted by a little girl. They dance a chicken dance, have a funny face contest, and enjoy something good to eat ("Nom Nom Nom."). When it's time for bed, they sleepwalk down the hall ("Z Z Z"), and the girl reads them stories, then suggests that they all say what they're thankful for, which triggers a lovely rhyme that's simple and satisfying.
Loving references to familiar classic children's books abound. The bunny in the blue striped pajamas is lifted straight from Goodnight Moon, and his name, Clement, must refer to Clement Hurd, that book's illustrator. The bear's name, Alan Alexander, is taken from A. A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh, also evoked by a picture of a bear carried aloft by a balloon. And the elephant's name is Jean, à la Jean de Brunhoff, author of Babar. It's not at all necessary to catch these references to enjoy the book, but Thank You and Good Night is squarely and happily in their classic company.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about familiar book characters. Do you recognize any characters or details from other stories you've read? Does the bunny in the blue striped PJs look familiar? What about the starry window with the striped curtain? Or the bear carried off by the balloon?
In the last picture of everyone sleeping, do you think the animals in the bed or Maggie's stuffed animals are real?
Do these friends remind you of your friends and the things you like to do together? How?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Patrick McDonnell
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 6, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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