A Classic’s Anniversary

In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of –

Does that sound familiar? Many of us fondly remember these lines from our childhood or from reading to the children in our lives (or the children at work if you’re a librarian like me!). These are the opening lines to the beloved children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and this year marks the 75^th anniversary of the book’s publication. This book is so special to so many people that NASA even commemorated the anniversary by hosting a “Read along, draw along” from the International Space Station in May. Goodnight Moon has probably been read aloud millions of times, but this is the first time is was read aloud from space!

Goodnight Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by her friend Clement Hurd, was published on September 3^rd, 1947. Since then more than 48 million copies have been sold and it’s been translated into at least 12 languages. Millions of readers have been charmed by the book’s colorful illustrations and poetic text. Told through the eyes of a child, there is something about the practical, real-world nature and the lulling cadence of the writing that is mesmerizing to both young and old. I have read this book countless times to my own children and in story times at the library and it always relaxes its reader and listeners.

While I have read this book many, many, many times and consider it a favorite, I realized while researching this blog post that I knew very little about its author and history, which, as it turns out, is quite interesting. Here are a few facts about Goodnight Moon that you might not know…

• The original 1947 price of the book was $1.47.
• The book didn’t sell particularly well at first and almost went out of print in 1951 due to low sales. Luckily for following generations, it regained popularity.
• It is believed that part of the reason it sold poorly at first was that is was disliked by Anne Carroll Moore, the influential children’s librarian at the New York Public Library. She thought it wasn’t imaginative enough so the NYPL didn’t carry it until 1972.
• Since then, it has been placed on the list of TIME’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time.
• MANY parodies have been written over the years. Some, like the popular Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex, in which a monster says goodnight to other monsters in his room, are for children. Others, such as Goodnight Trump, a political satire, are clearly meant to humor adults.
• Margaret Wise Brown was once engaged to the nephew of J.D. Rockefeller. Sadly, Brown passed away before they married. The story is that she kicked up her leg while recovering from an appendectomy to show how good she felt. This dislodged a blood clot, which caused her death.
• While Goodnight Moon circulates well in the Mercer County Library System, it is not in our top ten circulated picture books. My hunch – most parents own a copy and don’t need to check it out!
• Margaret Wise Brown published over 100 books during her lifetime and several more were published posthumously.

Interested in more? Check out these links to our online catalog where you can find books by and about Margaret Wise Brown in multiple formats and languages. There are titles available throughout our branches and through our virtual branch.

Find books written by Margaret Wise Brown.

Find biographies for children and adults about Margaret Wise Brown.

- by Christine, Hollowbrook Branch