Goodnight Moon--Why do people like this book?

[mo2]

Seriously. It just doesn't flow when I read it. Some of it rhymes, some of it doesn't. I don't get it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

This is one of my favorite books! There is a rhythm to it when read aloud. That and just the idea of saying goodnight to all the things in the room is comforting to young children (at least it was to my small children). Even though my youngest is 8, I bet I could still recite most of it by memory.

[Guest janainaz]

I like this book - I have no clue why. It's just different-

[Spy Car]

I think people like it because (read with the right tone of voice) it seems to have a narcotic effect on children.

 

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Bill

[sparrow]

We always liked it when the kids were really wee. There's a repetitive, sleepy quality to it. Good memories :001_smile:.

 

A favorite around here was The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. After getting the wiggles out in the beginning we finish with the beautiful line, "the moon is high, the sea is deep, we rock, and rock, and rock to sleep."

[Dobela]

It wasn't my favorite but both of my kids loved it. I think it is the quiet soothing feel of the story. It was also simple. Not many books, toys, or TV shows are quiet and soothing any more.

[DarcyB]

This is one of my favorite books! There is a rhythm to it when read aloud. That and just the idea of saying goodnight to all the things in the room is comforting to young children (at least it was to my small children). Even though my youngest is 8, I bet I could still recite most of it by memory.

 

:iagree:

[mo2]

Okay, so am I the only one who doesn't like it? I feel like a jerk.

[Kebo]

I hear you! I had heard about this book for years before I picked it up....then when I did I was puzzled by all the good press for it. It has grown on me a little bit, as it makes a nice transition book for lights-out. It sets the stage for kind of a groggy "the world is going to sleep" mood. If you read is kind of slow and hushed, anyway. I would have liked it better with less counting and more .... story? description? emotion? I mean, what does counting telephones have to do with anything??? I like the illustrations, though.

[*Jessica*]

You aren't the only one who doesn't like it! I returned it to the bookstore and picked a different book when my son received it for a gift long ago.

[Wheres Toto]

I never liked it, my kids never liked it. I never understood why it was considered such a must read.

[Perry]

This is one of my favorite books! There is a rhythm to it when read aloud. That and just the idea of saying goodnight to all the things in the room is comforting to young children (at least it was to my small children). Even though my youngest is 8, I bet I could still recite most of it by memory.

:iagree:

 

We enjoyed noticing all the details in the room. Wiki has a good list.

Goodnight Moon is classic children's literature in North America. The text is a poem, written in simple feminine rhyme, describing a bunny's bedtime ritual of saying "goodnight" to various objects in the bunny's bedroom: the telephone, the bunny's dollhouse, the bears, etc.

One aspect of this book is the wealth of detail in the illustrations. Although the entire story takes place in a single room, the careful reader or child will notice numerous details from page to page, including:

 

 

• the hands on the two clocks progress from 7 PM to 8:10 PM.

• the young mouse and kittens wander around the room. The mouse is present in all pages showing the room.

• the red balloon hanging over the bed disappears in several of the color plates, then reappears at the end.

• the room lighting grows progressively darker.

• the moon rises in the left-hand window.

• the socks disappear from the drying rack.

• the open book in the bookshelf is The Runaway Bunny.

• the book on the nightstand is Goodnight Moon.

• in the painting of the cow jumping over the moon, the mailbox in the right-hand side of the painting occasionally disappears.

• in the painting of the three bears, the painting hanging in the bears' room is a painting of a cow jumping over the moon.

• the painting of the fly-fishing bunny, which appears only in two color plates, appears to be black and white (or otherwise devoid of color). It is very similar to a picture in the book "The Runaway Bunny".

• the number of books in the bookshelf changes.

• the pendulum of the bedside clock disappears in the final room scene

• the stripes on the bunny's shirt change

• in the last page the word bunny is gone off the brush

 

 

[mo2]

Thank you. I know I'm not crazy now. At least a few other people dislike it.

[mo2]

 

• the red balloon hanging over the bed disappears in several of the color plates, then reappears at the end.
  
• the socks disappear from the drying rack.
  
• in the painting of the cow jumping over the moon, the mailbox in the right-hand side of the painting occasionally disappears.
  
• the painting of the fly-fishing bunny, which appears only in two color plates, appears to be black and white (or otherwise devoid of color). It is very similar to a picture in the book "The Runaway Bunny".
  
• the number of books in the bookshelf changes.
  
• the pendulum of the bedside clock disappears in the final room scene
  
• the stripes on the bunny's shirt change
  
• in the last page the word bunny is gone off the brush
  

 

To me, this just seems like the illustrator wasn't paying attention to what he was drawing.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The list of details reminded me that we used to look for the location of the mice in each picture. It was a fun game for my dc.

[mo2]

The list of details reminded me that we used to look for the location of the mice in each picture. It was a fun game for my dc.

 

Gotcha. Like the spider in the Little Critter books. Or the duck in some of the Usborne books.

[stripe]

I remember laughing about what a dumb book it was when I was about 13. But my kids like it.

[simka2]

I didn't like it...but my kids loved it!!!! So, I learned to like it :001_smile:. I did eventually, have fun making my voice as low and soft as possibly, and snuggling with them to read. It's hard to find something little boys will calm down too, and for some reason, my boys loved it!

[BikeBookBread]

I loved it, as did both of my girls. They especially loved finding the mouse on each page, and noticing that each page is a bit darker than the previous.

[Farrar]

While obviously art is a matter of taste and some people won't like things that are considered by critics and popular audiences to be "great," I feel like there are many things about Goodnight, Moon that make it such a classic. Again, that doesn't mean it has to be to your taste, just that, as the quoted list above shows, there are things that make it a great example of children's literature, the same way Bach is a great example of a composer, even if you're not into his music or Mondrian is a great example of a modern painter, even if you personally think his work is just some silly colorful boxes on a canvas.

 

My kids liked finding the mouse as he moved through the house and ate the mush.

 

I personally find the way that the book slowly goes from concrete imagery (the house, the bears, the clocks, the socks) to more abstract concepts (nobody, stars, noises, air) to be one of the most charming things about it. I also feel like that reflects how many young children see the world around them - the socks and the stars are somehow on a par with each other because sorting things into big and small or details and big picture hasn't fully happened for them yet. It's all just stuff around you - you being the most important piece, of course when you're three.

[WarriorMama]

I'm not a fan, although my toddler likes the rhythm of it.

 

I do, however, find the parody Goodnight Goon quite hilarious. :D

[fairfarmhand]

I hate it too.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

A favorite around here was The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. After getting the wiggles out in the beginning we finish with the beautiful line, "the moon is high, the sea is deep, we rock, and rock, and rock to sleep."

 

We never "got" Goodnight Moon around here, but both DD and I enjoyed The Going To Bed Book very much!!

[PinkInTheBlue]

All three of my boys have LOVED that book. I love it because of how much they have but I can't say why. There isn't anything earth shatteringly clever about it. They just enjoy it. :)

 

I don't see why anyone would even like Love You Forever (I think that's the name). It's just emotional torture and manipulation to me. Not to mention quite a bit creepy to me as well. ;)

[mrsrevmeg]

All three of my boys have LOVED that book. I love it because of how much they have but I can't say why. There isn't anything earth shatteringly clever about it. They just enjoy it. :)

 

I don't see why anyone would even like Love You Forever (I think that's the name). It's just emotional torture and manipulation to me. Not to mention quite a bit creepy to me as well. ;)

 

I agree with all, especially the bolded part. My mother got my oldest son Love You Forever and I never liked reading it. Goodnight Moon, however I loved. They were all very snuggly when it was read. Maybe that is why I liked it so.

[Jenny in Atl]

I loved it as a kid, and as a mom... But to each, his/her own.

 

I'm surprised we are three pages into the thread, and no one has bashed Rainbow Fish yet! :lol:

[Crissy]

Okay, so am I the only one who doesn't like it? I feel like a jerk.

 

Nope. I never cared for it, and neither did my children.

[wapiti]

I agree that there is a certain rhythm to the words when read aloud. And it most certainly rhymes, at least in my opinion. I could recite it right here and now. I have recited it while putting kids to bed, but without the book. For some reason that makes them laugh.

 

In the great green room there was a telephone

and a red balloon

and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon

and there were three little bears

sitting on chairs

and two little kittens

and a pair of mittens

...

 

When I first read it with my oldest, it seemed a little awkward. But having read it aloud probably hundreds of times, it's comforting. Maybe it's an acquired taste??

[OnTheBrink]

Goodnight Moon is soothing.

 

I'll Love You Forever is pathological.

 

We've never read Rainbow Fish.

 

:D

[Nestof3]

It was never a favorite here either. A lot of the all time favorites were not favorites here.

[Vida Winter]

All our kids adored Goodnight Moon. They especially loved finding the little mouse in each scene and watching the room gradually grow darker.

[Ferdie]

Okay, so am I the only one who doesn't like it? I feel like a jerk.

 

No, you are not the only one. I couldn't stand reading that book aloud. I would choose Big Red Barn over Goodnight Moon whenever possible.

[Impish]

We love Love You Forever here. Each child has their own copy, with a letter written to them the day or day after they were born.

 

We have/had Good Night Moon around here somewhere...although I'm thinking it fell apart and wasn't replaced. Hmmm.

[Daisy]

Well, obviously you've never seen the Star Wars version.

 

http://www.dzignspace.com/goodnight/

 

:D

[ChristusG]

I don't get it either. I've read it to my kids a few times but it is definitely not a favorite. But then again, I also don't get why most classics are recommended for reading and how they got to be a classic or why the Oscar awards choose the winning movies that they do LOL.

[Bright_Future]

I don't think that you are the only one who doesn't like it, maybe just one of the few who has verbalized it. Let's face it, that book is on almost every reading list written.

 

I remember reading it the first few times and thinking, why do people like this book? Although, I get the rhythmicity of the book, it always seemed boring to me personally. However, we read it many times and looking back on it, for really young kids, it is a great way to expand their memory and have a sense of reading themselves by having them finish some of the sentences. My son used to love to do this, my daughter not as much. He is a strong reader and she struggles more. I am not sure if there is any correlation, but interesting nonetheless.

[Crissy]

Well, obviously you've never seen the Star Wars version.

 

http://www.dzignspace.com/goodnight/

 

:D

:lol:

My boys will Definitely love this!

[elegantlion]

Well, obviously you've never seen the Star Wars version.

 

http://www.dzignspace.com/goodnight/

 

:D

 

Oh, thank you!

 

We love Goodnight Moon. I've read it thousands of times, I think. :D Maybe all in one night. Maybe it's the soothing words, the deep contrast in the illustrations, but it's one of our favorites. Ds's copy is sitting on top the bookshelf in the classroom.

[chickenpatty]

Lol, this is one of my very favorite little people books. It's just so... cozy, comfy... :)

[KrissiK]

Don't like "Goodnight Moon" all that much, either. But, then again, Margaret Wise Brown has some other strange books I never understood. "Color Kittens"... Ugh! "Mister Dog", was just strange as was "Scuppers". I loved "The Important Book" and maybe a few others, but... well, she's real hit or miss with me.

[BikeBookBread]

Well, obviously you've never seen the Star Wars version.

 

http://www.dzignspace.com/goodnight/

 

:D

 

That is great! I looked through it a few times, and am wondering if there is a Star Wars universe-version of The Mouse...

[susancollins]

This was my favorite book when I was a small child and when I got pregnant with my first child my daughter my mom bought me the book for her. I have read it to all of my children and they love it.

[Mandy in TN]

I personally find the way that the book slowly goes from concrete imagery (the house, the bears, the clocks, the socks) to more abstract concepts (nobody, stars, noises, air) to be one of the most charming things about it. I also feel like that reflects how many young children see the world around them - the socks and the stars are somehow on a par with each other because sorting things into big and small or details and big picture hasn't fully happened for them yet. It's all just stuff around you - you being the most important piece, of course when you're three.

:iagree:I like the book and agree with this especially the bold. Even as an adult my thoughts drift as a go to sleep. The concrete to abstract mirrors this.

 

It is a lovely soothing bedtime book.

 

Along with Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? it is a book I like reading to ESL students, because there is so much to dicuss.

 

However, Little Critter's Just Go to Bed was a big favorite of my middle ds.

 

A bunch of sweet memories.

Mandy

[JennW in SoCal]

Someone else has found Goodnight Goon!!! I had to buy it, even though my kids are all grown up and barely remember Goodnight Moon.

 

I'm in the "love it" category for Goodnight Moon because it was a quiet, warm and snuggly book. And we all giggled over "goodnight mush" and "goodnight nobody".

[akmommy]

It wasn't a favorite here, but I do think it is a sweet bedtime story. My favorite bedtime book/poem when the kids were little was Winken, Blinken, and Nod.

[Word Nerd]

It's sweet and it made my kids sleepy—especially since I got quieter toward the end of the book so I wouldn't "wake up" the little bunny.

[BatmansWife]

It's okay....I guess I don't love it and I don't hate it. I always liked how the moonlight came through the room.

 

When my oldest child was little she really liked it. I can still remember her reciting it and coming to the part where she'd say, "and a yittle ol' yady wissering hussshhh". It was sooo cute. Awwww....the memories. This same little girl turns 18 tomorrow. :crying:

[Mom2absh]

"Color Kittens"... Ugh!

 

:iagree: I could never enjoy that one. Good Night Moon is OK, though - it's peaceful.

 

J

[Alphabetika]

Because....because, "Good night, nobody. Good night, mush."

 

Actually, other than that, I'm not that fond of it. I just love those concepts. :tongue_smilie:

[Caroline]

A SLP told me it has all of the most frequent sounds from the English language.