Book Review: Goodnight Moon

The book that has lulled kids to sleep since 1947

How do you convince an energetic child to go to bed every night?

You read them a story. Or you sing them a lullaby. Whatever you choose, you want them to relax and go to sleep.

Goodnight Moon helps children go to sleep without feeling alone or vulnerable. It has no conflict, no battles to fight, and no princess to rescue. There is nothing in this story that will give a child bad dreams.

What makes this book unique? 

20 years before Goodnight Moon, children’s books were set in fantasy worlds. When Brown was a student at the Bank Street School, she began authoring stories for the “here and now.” Children naturally invest their worlds with meaning. Goodnight Moon guides children through a house like theirs and offers a ritual they can follow, no matter what their world looks like.

Brown was a successful writer long before Goodnight Moon. She was the children’s book editor at an important New York City publishing house. While there, she had a huge influence over children's literature, writing dozens of books—some under pen names so she did not overwhelm the market. This established here and now storytelling as a popular children's book genre.

Goodnight Moon’s rhythmic language came from Brown’s study of children’s semantics. She found children are more interested in how a message sounds than what it says. Over 70 years later, parents still lull their children to sleep with the gentle rhythms of Goodnight Moon.

Fun Goodnight Moon Activities for Preschoolers

A Few of My Favorite Toys

The bunny said goodnight to a roomful of things. What do your students have in their rooms? Make a list on the board. Then have them count how many items are on the list. For some sorting fun, have them say which items are alike and which are different.

Build Your Own Window 

Get some green poster board for the wall. Glue a piece of blue construction paper to it for the window. Take an empty tin can (like one that canned vegetables come in) and use it to draw a circle on white construction paper. Then you’ll have a moon to cut out and glue to the blue sky.

Now you can add whatever you want to the window scene:

· Pictures of household items or toys they can glue on

· A construction paper fireplace

· A piece of paper where students list the things they say goodnight to

Write your own Goodnight Moon Story

If your preschooler was the main character in Goodnight Moon, what would their book look like? Help them put together their own. You can create one from construction paper, glue, and cutouts of items they would have in their story. Use the text from Goodnight Moon as a guide. Make it as long or short as you want. Then staple the pages together and you have a book!

Grab a copy of Goodnight Moon if you don’t have one. We’d love to hear what your kids say goodnight to!