Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown {1947}

Every child ought to have Goodnight Moon read frequently to them at bedtime. Clement Hurd's uniquely colored illustrations, and the gentle flow of Miss Brown's prose provide a soothing reading experience. It is also an easy text to memorize, it gets stuck in your head! Countless times I've chanted it to my kids in the car or before bed to help them unwind.

Author. I've always imagined Margaret Wise Brown as a gentle little old lady. In reality, friends and fans were stunned at her unexpected death at age 42 of an embolism. She was only 37 years old when this book was published.

Plot. A little bunny says his goodnights to the ordinary objects surrounding him.

Educational Opportunities. Younger children can learn how to identify everyday items around them. Point out the pairs of rhyming words to older children. If you want to go more in depth, you can always discuss the phases of the moon.

Activities. 

• I loved Daniele's lesson plan for Goodnight Moon and Owl Moon. Plenty of creative ideas here!
• Make your own moon in a window, just like the book. 
• Put together this adorable Goodnight Moon tot bag. A homeschool mom put it together to occupy her toddler while she teaches her older kids. She has lots of other great book inspired tot bags on her blog!
• Feed your preschooler a Goodnight Moon themed lunch!
• A free coloring page from the book. 
• Try this story sorting game.

Other Resources.

• This video makes you feel sleepy just watching it.

Be sure to also check out... The Runaway Bunny and My World of Color. These are the only other Margaret Wise Brown books I've read with my kids- though I know there are many, many more- and we've enjoyed them both.  Also, while you're exploring the moon theme, be sure to read Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me, Owl Moon, and Catching the Moon.

While I haven't personally read them, the covers of these parodies make me laugh, and might be worth checking out: Goodnight iPad and Goodnight Mr. Darcy.

Looking for more great books to read with your preschooler? Check out the rest of this 31 Days series here!

Some of the links above are affiliate links- which means that if you make a purchase through them, I receive a small profit at no extra charge to you. But you should know that I am an avid believer in reading for free through both local and church libraries ;). Thanks for supporting The Purposeful Wife!