Reading "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown

Like all parents, I have read Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to my daughter countless times. My husband and I have also read it with different accents to vary the experience for all of us. Its repetitive nature is calming and fun. When I read it to her last night, we had had "mush" for supper, with vegetables. For those who do not know, "mush" is another word for Polenta, a wonderful comfort food often eaten with butter and Parmesan cheese.

Goodnight Moon lends itself to various literacy enhancement activities. I was inspired to write a poem for my daughter based on its style, using the arrangement of her room to generate content. Pictures are provided to accompany the text. The next step intended is to put text and images together in MS Word and print it out for us to enjoy as a bedtime story. The cover design will be a picture drawn with crayons or marker by my daughter, so that the effort will be cooperative, one "owned" by both of us.

One of my ideas for binding is to slip the sheets into clear plastic liners, which have holes for placing in a 3-ring binder. Once all the pages are in place and arranged in order, I would "bind" them together with pieces of ribbon tied in bows. Finally, it will be time to cuddle together on the couch to read it together.

by K. and C. Gault

In the bright pink room there was a bed, with a doll named Susan on it,

and a great big bear wearing a red T-shirt.

There was a painting of pink flowers, and blocks arranged in towers,

And shelves of books with a reading nook.

There was a bureau of drawers where princess figurines and baskets live,

And a windowsill where three more dolls and a wooden name train live.

There is a tall glass of water on a soft square coaster, next to a lone little cricket, chirping,

and bins full of Legos, instruments, and doll's clothes.

Goodnight room and goodnight bed,

Goodnight to the doll named Susan,

And "Gandalf" bear wearing a tee-shirt of red.

Goodnight flowers, goodnight towers,

And goodnight name train rolling across my windowsill.

Goodnight shelves of books with a reading nook,

Goodnight bureau with baskets and princess figurines,

And goodnight cricket who chirps for a drink of water.

Goodnight sky and goodnight stars,

And goodnight angels guarding us, from near and far.