Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
| Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: First published 65 years ago it's a classic way of settling children down to sleep. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 15 | Date: August 2015 |
| Publisher: Macmillan's Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-0230764842 | |
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Bunny was cosily tucked up in bed. It's a big room, painted green (very green) and with lots of things scattered around. Before Bunny goes to sleep he's going to look at them all and then say goodnight to each of them. There are the pictures on the walls (from nursery rhymes and fairy tales), a couple of kittens, a pair of mittens, a doll's house and a young mouse, a comb and a brush and a bowl of mush as well as a quiet old lady who was whispering hush. You get the idea? We're moving through the objects one by one in gentle rhyme before we start to say goodnight to them all.
There's plenty to look at in all the pictures: you could even play 'spot the mouse in the pictures of the room. You might like to concentrate on the kittens who are wreaking havoc with the old lady's ball of wool, whilst glossing over the animal skin at the side of the bed! Watch the progression of the moon in the pictures, as it rises steadily higher, see the hands of the clocks move on and notice that even the kittens seem ready to go to sleep - willing the old lady to move so that they can curl up on her chair. It's 68 years since Goodnight Moon was first published and much of what we see in the pictures I remember from my own childhood - the open fire in the bedroom, the rocking chair and small garments airing on a clothes horse. In those days no one would have frowned at the animal-skin rug (it would have been aspirational) and my distaste is a modern sensitivity.
The words are particularly soothing, quiet and gently calming - even as an adult I found that just reading through them almost lulled me to sleep. It's a useful way of establishing your own bedtime routine with a child and even babies will love the cadence. It's impossible to sound cross whilst reading it! Yes, it is dated, but there's a lot about how rooms used to look to interest today's child. It's a good book to have in your bedtime armoury and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
We've seen a delightful parody of Goodnight Moon - it's perfect for Halloween.
We've also seen Goodnight Moon 123 & ABC Gift Slipcase - two hardback books in a sturdy slip case. It would make a delightful present.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd at Amazon.com.
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