Goodnight Moon

Written in 1947, Margaret Wise Brown’s classic children’s bedtime story is a timeless starter for sweet dreams, perfect for children anywhere. It’s no wonder the book is a bestseller, having sold more than 4 million copies. As the little bunny says goodnight to all of the things in his or her room, the storyteller can softly reduce his or her speed, slowing to a whisper at the end, creating a feeling of peace in a child’s bedroom.

Since the story is told in poetry form, it’s very easy to read, with an almost singsong quality. Moving from illustration to illustration, each gentle, soft picture also provides a soothing effect to end the day smoothly. As the story continues, the room gets darker and darker, depicting a natural bedtime progression.

One thing that I never really noticed was that the clocks in the room progress from 7:00 to 8:10, so I suppose the bunnies have a very long bedtime ritual! I also always wondered about the bowl of mush; shouldn’t the bunny eat in the kitchen? And brush his or her little bunny teeth afterward?

The original copy also had a cigarette in it, and though I’m normally completely against censorship, for once, I’m glad to have had a book edited in my daughter’s library.

You may have also noticed that mouse and kittens like to meander all over the room; perhaps you can compare them to your own child’s pets during bedtime. There are also a number of literary references in the book that you may want to introduce your child to, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle, and The Runaway Bunny (also by Brown).

The bunny’s bedtime ritual is one you can emulate with your child, too. You can even change the words. When the bunny says goodnight to the moon, or the red balloon, the kittens or the mittens, you can say goodnight to Pooh Bear, the hanging airplane, Wall-E, whomever.

There is also a video version of Goodnight Moon, narrated slowly and sweetly by Susan Sarandon. Along with the story, there are other celebrity performances such as Tony Bennet’s performance of “Hit the Road to Dreamland,” Billy Crystal’s reading of Mercer Mayer’s “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet,” and an amazing rendition of “Hush Little Baby” by the incomparable Lauryn Hill. Following the performances, real kids provide sweet and silly answers to a series of bedtime-related questions.