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40cakesGoodnight, Moon is a book that is perfect for putting a child to sleep. Thousands of children (and adults) have learned to love the tale of a young little bunny wishing goodnight to everything in his room.
The book is perfect at night, not just because of its title, but because of its style. When one sees the first page, the colours are bright, and we see the bunny in bed in his pyjamas. It is perfect that Brown made the main character an animal, because then any child can identify with Bunny. If it were a human child, then it would have to have a specific gender, race, hair colour; but any child can see a bunny and pretend just for a moment that they’re not human. Already on the first page, the child, also in bed, in their pyjamas, can pretend they are the main character, thus getting more involved in the book.
As stated before, the colours in the first illustration are bright reds, greens, and blues. The moonlight is coming in through the window, the bedside lamp and overhead light are on. As the story progresses, and the bunny says goodnight to objects in its room, the pictures of the objects are all black and white. Every time we return to the illustration of the bunny in its bed, the colours are a little darker, each light slowly dimming and/or turning off. In the final illustration, the colours are very dark, the only bright light coming from the moon. Also, the repetition of the objects in Bunny’s room lulls a child to sleep, almost like a lullaby.
In the end, the book also gives the child a feeling of security. Bunny doesn’t fall asleep alone in its room; it has two kittens and a young mouse, and a quiet old lady whispering, “Hush.” And in the very end, we see that even though the lights are off, Bunny is asleep, and has bid everything goodnight, the Moon is still outside shining, as if watching over the bunny in its sleep.
The book is perfect at night, not just because of its title, but because of its style. When one sees the first page, the colours are bright, and we see the bunny in bed in his pyjamas. It is perfect that Brown made the main character an animal, because then any child can identify with Bunny. If it were a human child, then it would have to have a specific gender, race, hair colour; but any child can see a bunny and pretend just for a moment that they’re not human. Already on the first page, the child, also in bed, in their pyjamas, can pretend they are the main character, thus getting more involved in the book.
As stated before, the colours in the first illustration are bright reds, greens, and blues. The moonlight is coming in through the window, the bedside lamp and overhead light are on. As the story progresses, and the bunny says goodnight to objects in its room, the pictures of the objects are all black and white. Every time we return to the illustration of the bunny in its bed, the colours are a little darker, each light slowly dimming and/or turning off. In the final illustration, the colours are very dark, the only bright light coming from the moon. Also, the repetition of the objects in Bunny’s room lulls a child to sleep, almost like a lullaby.
In the end, the book also gives the child a feeling of security. Bunny doesn’t fall asleep alone in its room; it has two kittens and a young mouse, and a quiet old lady whispering, “Hush.” And in the very end, we see that even though the lights are off, Bunny is asleep, and has bid everything goodnight, the Moon is still outside shining, as if watching over the bunny in its sleep.
