Goodnight Moon - A Classic Children's Picture Book

Goodnight Moon, a picture book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd is a classic children's story because of its peaceful flow, rhythm, and illustrations. My parents read this book to me as a young child, and I continued reading it even after I could read by myself.

Children truly connect to this book because it includes many common objects that they can relate to and are familiar with. The main character is a rabbit that says goodnight to everything in his room and everything he can see and hear in the distance before his mother puts him to bed. Most children feel comfortable with an innocent little bunny rabbit wearing pajamas. Children can easily relate to this character. They also can sit with their own parents in their pajamas and say goodnight to each object in their rooms. It is such a simple concept, but it is a very calming way to put an end to the day each night. The story is short, the plot is very simple for children to understand, and the repetition creates a story that they can easily follow.

The illustrations of the book are also very soothing and attracting to children. The author chose to use small ink drawings as well as wide and bright colored representations of the rabbit's room. The illustrator also includes minute details that are fun for children to locate on each page. For example, as one reads through the book, the clock continues to change time as it gets later and later. There is also a picture of the three little bears on the wall, which most children are very familiar with. All of these simple changes throughout the book cause children to stay excited and entertained, but at the same time, calm them through the use of the peaceful colors and simple objects. Another clever effect the illustrator used is the dimming of the colors as the story comes to an end. This represents that the bunny is now satisfied with all that he has said goodnight to and is ready to fall asleep.

Overall, the different objects on each page create a sense of adventure while the gently lit room creates a serene atmosphere. With this clever use of illustration, by the time the book is over, children also feel ready for bed and their eyes begin to shut.

In my opinion, Goodnight Moon is the perfect children's book. Its rhythm, repetition, simplicity, familiarity, and colors create a world that children can easily follow along with, relate to, calm down with, and learn from. There are endless details to observe on each page, and ultimately, children learn that they do not need to fear going to bed at night, because this book just makes it all seem so simple! As the moon rises higher in the sky in the book, the clock gets later, and in the pages grow darker, children know it is also time for them to go to sleep as well.

Reference:
Brown, Margaret W. Goodnight Moon. HarperCollins, 1947.