I feel that lately I have been having several conversations about Goodnight Moon.
The question is generally, "What's so great about Goodnight Moon?", as in, why is it such a classic? Why do so many billions of people have the silly thing memorized? It's not that great. Etc. I can never put my finger on why it is that I love it so much. I have had it memorized for years and I really don't get tired of reading it to Theo. He never gets tired of it either. He especially loves to whisper "hushhhhhh" and "goodnight noises everywhere." And he's always pointing out things, like "fire!" "window!" "balloon!" "kittens! meow!"
For me, besides the striped curtains, the bold colors, and the coziness of the bunny drifting off to sleep with his (mom?)(grandma?)(nanny?)(quiet old lady?) close by, I think it's the simple cadence that doesn't get old. It's not too sing-songy, but it is rhythmic enough to be interesting. "In the great green room there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of--the cow jumping over the moon..."
There is also the searching for the mouse, which I think Theo is just old enough to appreciate. And the art on the wall from Runaway Bunny (which Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd published before they did Goodnight Moon). I saw this post the other day about uncovering some more "layers" of Goodnight Moon. So maybe I don't have to feel so sheepish about loving this simple, somewhat prosaic lullaby. Theo's copy is quite battered already and we'll probably buy a few more before I'm done reading it to my kids.
7 comments:
I was trying to remember why and how I was introduced to this story. It was after Bonny and Harry - and I also love "Ask Mr. Bear" and can't remember who introduced that one to me - but Bonny and Harry can lay claim to "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" and "The Bus From Chicago!"
Children's books have been around and beloved forever it seems - but their importance really only started to emerge in the late 70's.
Interesting.
I love this book and the song that the blog title came from.
I don't remember this book from my childhood. The only book I really remember is my CInderella book. But I love this book now as I read it to my children. Lia Belle laughs hysterically EVERY time we get to the part that says "Goodnight Nobody".
Katie, you gave me that CD. I still listen to it often!
I always loved Runaway Bunny but never paid much attention to Goodnight Moon, although I was certainly very familiar with it and probably had it memorized even before I had Theo. But I really started liking it when I actually read it to him.
Goodnight moon has had it's moments of being the favorite at our house. Then it seems to be outgrown and forgotten until it is discovered by the next child.
Another reason to love it is that the room slowly darkens as the book progresses. If only I had a room like that to fall asleep in, with my grandma knitting by the fire, keeping me company.
I never had this book with Soren. It wasn't until my visiting teacher out in DC heard I was expecting that I held my own copy in my hand. Your post inspired me to pull out that exact copy and read it to Caroline yesterday.
Thank you!
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