The written content of Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book, Goodnight Moon, comprises a simple, rhythmic poem. It describes a young rabbit’s bedtime ritual of saying goodnight to all the familiar objects in its room. For example, the text includes phrases like “goodnight room” and “goodnight cow jumping over the moon.”
This gentle, repetitive language has soothed generations of children before sleep. Its enduring popularity stems from the comforting predictability of the narrative and the easily recognizable objects within the illustrations. The book’s historical context, published in 1947, places it in the post-war era, a time when simple comforts and routines held particular significance. Its enduring legacy lies in its ability to foster a sense of calm and security at bedtime.
