It is a well known fact that reading before bedtime helps put children to sleep. Goodnight Moon is a book that has been around since the 1940s, and it remains highly popular today due to its easy text and lovely pictures. Goodnight Moon contains just 123 words, each no more than 2 syllables long, so it is a beginner-level book. Goodnight Moon is also a very short book, with easy-to-remember words and a repetitive structure, which makes it an excellent choice for reading to small children who may find it difficult to stay focused on a longer story.
Goodnight Moon is written in the style of cumulative storytelling; this means that new elements are gradually introduced throughout the text, leading up to its conclusion. Margaret Wise Brown wrote Goodnight Moon in order for children everywhere to experience “the great green room,” (1) the place where all naps happen and night-time books are read. Goodnight Moon begins with the line “goodnight room. ” The first picture shows us t he main character’s room which is filled with objects that are yellow (except for two items – the comb and brush on the mantel, and a telephone in the corner which is gray.
Goodnight Moon is full of vivid imagination, as it describes a world where inanimate objects come to life at night. The second page explains “goodnight moon,” and we see a lovely crescent-shaped moon against a background of blue sky. However, when Margaret Wise Brown instructs us to “Goodnight nobody,” we suddenly realize that there is no one in this bedroom except for our unnamed protagonist! Goodnight Moon illustrates an empty world where everything must have been tucked away before bedtime! Everything goes to sleep when it’s bedtime, which is just as well because the “quiet old lady” who lives in this room does not want to be disturbed.
Goodnight Moon has an almost ethereal tone as if all of the objects are slightly enchanted. Of course, Margaret Wise Brown is not saying that actual people live inside of picture frames! Goodnight Moon is instead describing what happens when someone leaves a room at bedtime… all of the sleeping things come to life! Goodnight Moon ends with our protagonist falling asleep after kissing us goodnight. The final page shows us one last time how empty the bedroom becomes when everyone else goes to sleep!
Goodnight Moon, therefore, has a simple yet profound message: even though you leave a room, the items inside will always be there waiting for you, just as Goodnight Moon is here to be read any time at bedtime. Goodnight no one else but you… Goodnight air… Goodnight noises everywhere. (1) “The great green room” is a reference to the room that exists in every child’s imagination where all sleep happens. This is usually represented by their bedroom with all of its trappings. Goodnight Moon can be interpreted on multiple levels – it can either be about putting your toys away before bed or losing things when you grow up and leave home.
However, most children enjoy Goodnight Moon because they are able to relate it to ideas of their own imagining which are not quite the same as the book’s deeper symbolism. Goodnight Moon was written during the 1940s, when children were encouraged to imagine receiving their toys for Christmas, so it is highly likely that Goodnight Moon is influenced by this context. Goodnight Moon is also a cumulative story because new objects are introduced with each page turn – something that children enjoy very much! Goodnight Moon begins in one way and ends in an unexpected place entirely different from where it began.
Goodnight Moon is a perfect metaphor for saying “goodbye” to the physical world around us before going into a dreamlike state. As Goodnight Moon begins, a young child is preparing to go to bed and, as she lies in her bed, she hears three little furry gray mice; their names are Hush,Hush, andYawn. As they pass through each door of the great green room (2), they say goodnight to different objects like the red balloon (3) and the picture on the wall (4). The book ends as it began with Goodnight Moon (5).
The style of writing used throughout Goodnight Moon was written in a very simplistic tone to appeal to the young audience it intended on. Written from the viewpoint of a toddler, Goodnight Moon uses short, easy-to-read words with an emphasis on rhyming lines(6). Because Goodnight Moon speaks from both the mother’s voice as well as their own child’s voice, Goodnight Moon would be categorized as a bedtime storybook – one meant to help children relax before going to sleep.
It was originally published as Goodnight Room, but the publishers asked the author to change the title because it didn’t accurately convey how cute the pictures are. Goodnight Moon has been printed with over 5 million copies. Goodnight Moon is the story of a young rabbit saying goodnight to everything he sees in his home, including “Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. ” The book follows him as he goes to bed and then ends with him falling asleep surrounded by things that are still awake. This book won many awards, including the Caldecott Medal in 1948 for the best children’s book illustration.
Goodnight Moon has been translated into French, Spanish, Afrikaans, Arabic and Russian. Goodnight Moon is also available as an audiobook on Audible with three different cover designs. Goodnight Moon was painted by Clement Hurd, who worked at Brown & Bigelow to produce advertisements that included his paintings of babies (the company’s main clientele). His “Goodnight Kiss” advertisement won several awards. He also illustrated books, such as The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and Lassie Come-Home , which was written by Eric Knight (about a female dog named Lassie).
