Goodnight Moon
Every year, book publishers print hundreds of new picture booktitles. Children love coming into the library or going to thebookstore and seeing the new books displayed. Yet, they will stillgravitate to the wonderful old classics: Curious George, BerenstainBears, Caps for Sale, Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are and Dr.Seuss. Good Night Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown andillustrated by Clement Hurd surely will be on this list for years to The theme of Good Night Moon is very simple: A bunny, who is beingput to bed by a "mother/grandmotherly" rabbit bids goodnight to eachfamiliar thing in his moonlit room in order to postpone going to sleep. Heeven says good night to the air! The rhymes, which correspond to the brightprimary colors, are very soothing for babies and toddlers but also areremembered and repeated by children even up to the
Young children see primary and non-subtlechanges of color best: That is what Hurd does here with his colorselection. The last full-page spread, and every colored page is a full-pagespread, is particularly pleasing and relaxing. What boy or girl has not tried to delay going to sleep' Most youngchildren enjoy saying goodnight to anything and everything as long as itprolongs final bedtime. There is also a steady movement towardslumber not onlyby the changing rhythm, but by the illustrations of the mood of thepictures, and the positions of the kittens, boy bunny, mouse, and motherrabbit. " But the book extends beyond the simple rhymes and story. Older children like to point to the objects as they are read and play"I Spy" by finding the mouse who is hiding on the pages. The lights are dimmed in theroom, the boy bunny is snuggling down for the night under the covers andthe only things that are prevailing and glowing are the moon, night stars,flames in the fireplace, and the toyhouse's lights. ""In thegreat green room / There was a telephone / And a red balloon / And apicture of-- / The cow jumping over the moon. It is also an easyway to start older children reading, as they see the word associated withthe bright, clear artwork. Brown also knows the joy of being aparent/grandparent and adds subtle humor by even saying goodnight to the"quiet old lady whispering hush. Published in 1947, the third generation of parents are now readingGood Night Moon. The-2-clocks advance in 10-minute increments as the full moon rises appropriatelyin the evening through the window. Goingthrough the pages, time progresses shown in the increasing darkness of theroom, the moving clock hands, the rising moon, and the decreasing movementof the bunny and the kittens.
Common topics in this essay:
Night Moon,
,
Hurd Published,
Clement Hurd,
night moon,
Wise Brown,
saying goodnight,
boy bunny,
full-page spread,
|
Acceptance Essays
