Goodnight Moon

 

Bibliography
Brown, Margaret Wise, 1947. GOODNIGHT MOON. Ill. by Clement Hurd. New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. ISBN 9780439734721.

Plot Summary
In this sweet, gentle bedtime story, a young bunny is getting ready for sleep. This beloved story begins by identifying the bedroom setting, naming each object and character in the room. Objects and characters ranging from toy houses, socks, kittens, and an old lady. Soon after naming everything in the story, readers begin to help the little bunny say goodnight to every object and character named. As soon as the final goodnight is said, the young bunny is ready for a good night's sleep.

Critical Analysis
Brown's writing is perfect for young emergent readers. This audience will appreciate a sweet, gentle story being read to them before bedtime or great practice identifying objects and characters. Little readers will also be excited to hear small rhymes and repetitions, reminding them of familiar, early nursery rhymes. The writing flows beautifully, in an almost sing song kind of way. 

Clement Hurd's soft, subtle illustrations support and enhance Brown's gentle bedtime story. The illustrations vary from bright red, blue, and green colors to capture the young bunny's room and the objects inside it.  In the bedroom, the lamp is shining softly, as night gets darker outside. Eyes can't help but see the fireplace holds a lit fire, the stars are sparkling from the window, or the soft, fuzzy carpet. Then, there's the faint black and white illustrations portraying the night time such as portraits of the cow jumping over moon and the three little bears. Each illustration holds careful details, soft shading of light and darkness, and shadowy paint strokes.

Review Excerpt(s)
Parents' Choice Gold Award - 1998
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award - 1999
Indies Choice Book Awards - Picture Book Hall of Fame Selection - 2014
Starred Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Little children will love this going to sleep book -  a really fresh idea by a talented and prolific author, illustrated by Clement Hurd."

Connections
- A perfect read for toddlers and emergent readers. 
- A sweet, peaceful read before a child's bedtime.
- Similar book recommendations:
Freeman, Don. CORDUROY. ISBN 9780140501735
Martin Jr., Bill. BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? ISBN 9780805047905

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Koala Lou

Image
  Bibliography Fox, Mem, 1988. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780152000769. Plot Summary Young Koala Lou yearns for the days when she was an only child and her mother would tell her how she loved her the most. As the years have passed and more siblings have arrived, Koala Lou thinks about what she can do to earn her mother's attention. With the Bush Olympics right around the corner, she enters the competition (specifically, the gum tree climbing event), dreaming of her victory and her mother telling her how much she loved her. Despite not winning the event, her mother is proud of her and reminds her of how much she loves her. Koala Lou learns that a mother's love is forever and does not have to win her over. Critical Analysis  Mem Fox has captured the sweet, eternal love a mother will always have her child. The main character, Koala Lou, recalls the moments when her mother would tell her she loved her most and how it uplifted her...
Read more

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

Image
  Bibliography Tonatiuh, Duncan, 2014. SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY'S FIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781419710544. Plot Summary In 1947, Sylvia Mendez is excited to begin school in the new city her family moved to. When she walks through the door, she is immediately greeted with rudeness and is told to go to the Mexican school instead. Hurt and ashamed, she tells her mother she does not want to go to school anymore. Her mother listens to her sadness and reminds her to hold her head high, the Mendez family fought for the right to attend the Westminster school. She was being unfairly judged for her looks alone, despite being an American who spoke perfect English, all people saw was her dark hair and skin. Sylvia's mother reminds her of how her family fought for the same opportunity for the kids to attend a good school and have equal rights.  Critical Analysis  Duncan Tonatiuh shares the powerful, true ...
Read more

The Night Raven

Image
Bibliography Rundberg, Johan, 2020. THE NIGHT RAVEN. New York, NY: Amazon Crossing Kids. ISBN 9781662509582. Plot Summary It's a dark, cold night in Stockholm and Mika is running through her personal checklist of how to survive during the unbearable, freezing winters in the local orphanage. She suddenly hears a knock at the door and there is a boy holding a newborn child claiming the Dark Angel knows he has taken this child. Without any explanation, the boy takes off running, leaving Mika with many questions and another child to help care for. The Night Raven was a notorious serial killer in Stockholm and was supposed to be dead, now Mika is left wondering if somehow he is involved. With the help of a local detective, Mika will hunt out the truth and solve a murder. With this opportunity, Mika can become someone strong and who matters in this world, not allowing her only identity to be an orphan.  Critical Analysis Rundberg writes a suspenseful mystery, more specifically a murder i...
Read more