Goodnight Moon: Title: Goodnight Moon Author: Margaret Wise Brown Illustrator: Clement Hurd

GOODNIGHT MOON
Title: Goodnight Moon

Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrator: Clement Hurd
Copyright: 1947
Summary
34
Gentleness and rhythmic calm prevail as a young bunny prepares for
bedtime and says goodnight to each familiar object in his room, includ-
ing his window!
Bible
Read Psalm 127:2 about God giving to His beloved, even in their sleep.
It is a wonder to consider that even while we’re sleeping, the Lord is
aware and giving. Discuss this idea with your child.
Or you can read Genesis 1:14-19 and share with your child briefly about
the creation of the sun, moon and stars which took place on the fourth
day of creation.
Art
Notice with your child the first picture of the story. The room is lighted
(from the fireplace and at least one lamp) so the outside, beyond the win-
dow looks very dark. In the last picture, the room is dark and now the out-
side looks bright. Looking through the pictures in between, does it slowly
become lighter outside? No, it just appears lighter as the room becomes
darker. At night you can show your child how this concept works, as our
eyes become accustomed to the dark and the outside light seems brighter.
Goodnight Moon
Bright primary and secondary colors are used in this Memory
art work. You may want to take this opportunity to
learn red, yellow and blue as the primary colors. If Play a memory game. First, read the story. Then look
there is a great deal of interest, and if your child is at the picture of the room. Close the book and try to
inquiring about the green used, you can decide if go- remember as many items and details as possible.
ing on to teach the secondary colors and how they
are derived from the primary colors is appropriate at Literature: Nursery Rhymes
this time.
The story makes reference to the nursery rhyme
On the third double-page, color illustration, there is “Hey Diddle Diddle” where the “cow jumps over the
a picture hanging on the wall over the dollhouse and moon.” If your child isn’t familiar with this rhyme, it
bookcase. It looks like a bunny fishing for a bunny. might be a good time to share it with him. Nursery
The picture is from another book written by the au- rhymes can provide the beginning of “sound” rec-
thor of Goodnight Moon, called The Runaway Bunny. ognition and introduce the appreciation of rhyming
The same illustrator, Clement Hurd, created the pic- poetry. Also, just as there was an allusion to a well-
tures for both books. If your child knows The Run- known rhyme in this story, there are many referenc-
away Bunny, he will recognize the picture of the bun- es made in literature to famous nursery rhymes. So,
ny fisherman. If not, The Runaway Bunny is included the knowledge of these rhymes increases your child’s
in the lesson plans of this manual and when you get cultural literacy. In other words, as your child is pre-
to that book, re-read Goodnight Moon and see if your sented with these references, he will recognize the
child notices the picture. source and often appreciate the reason why an author
included such rhymes in his story.
Science: Zoology
Literature: Storytelling
Talk about and point out different kinds of animals
included in the text or illustrations of Goodnight Moon. In the first illustration, there is a picture on the wall
Look in the text for new animals to add to your clas- of three bears sitting in chairs. Does your child know
sification game begun in Blueberries for Sal. You may the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? If not, you
want to make additional index cards for cows, bears,
mice, elephants, giraffes, cats, rabbits, etc.
Before Five in Row 35

might want to share it now. Your child will then recognize the source of
the three bears picture in future readings of Goodnight Moon.
Another storytelling project you might want to try is to use the pattern
of story line in Goodnight Moon. In this way, your child might make up
a story about saying “Hello” to everything around him in the morning.
The light would get brighter and brighter and each item could be men-
tioned as the room “awakened.”
Parent’s Note
Like Margaret Wise Brown, Eloise Wilkin has written another won-
derful “goodnight” book that you might like to find. It is called My
Goodnight Book, 1981 Golden Press. It comes in the young child’s board
book format and has beautiful, soothing pictures.
36
Vocabulary
This story uses the word great to mean big. Talk with your older child
about this usage and also other ways to use great, such as great meaning
fantastic, or great meaning influential or powerful.
Math: Shapes
Goodnight Moon has many shapes represented in the illustrations. Talk

about circles, squares, triangles, etc., and let your child look for these
shapes as he examines the illustrations during future readings.
*The story disk for Goodnight Moon can be placed by your child on the story-
book map at the house under the moon.
Goodnight Moon

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GOODNIGHT MOON

Title: Goodnight Moon

Before Five in Row 35

Goodnight Moon has many shapes represented in the illustrations. Talk

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