There is a unique and alluring tone established through the simplistic plotline of a young bunny methodically bidding good night to the objects in his room. A consuming coziness seeps in as a dimly lit green bedroom is described methodically.
The illustrations, done by a friend of Brown’s, Clement Hurd, are equally as iconic as the story’s melodic words. Highly saturated colors convey mesmerizing imagery of the nursery, each page featuring a small mouse hidden somewhere in the frame: a bonus game of iSpy adds an element of fun for those that haven’t been lulled to sleep. Parents everywhere can attest to the drowsy effect induced by the trance-like narrative pattern. There is a dream-like quality that emanates from the book’s pages, which is perhaps fitting, as it was recently revealed in Brown’s biography, In the Great Green Room, that the inspiration for the book came to her through a dream, in which she recalled her own childhood bedtime rituals.
Brown’s work in the arena of children’s literature revolutionized the field. Her children’s stories marked a departure from the established narrative trend of delivering didactics through fables or fairy-tales. Brown instead turned to child psychology to steer her stylistics, opting to write in a way that emulated the way children themselves told stories. Brown had a massive respect for children’s imaginative powers, and knew how to tap into the feeling of smallness that stems from an unregulated and expansive sense of the world. Brown seemed to have a complex and holistic view of the child’s consciousness, as her ability to enchant children with a perfect balance of the strange and familiar so aptly demonstrates.
Goodnight Moon is a cherished relic of childhood often passed down from generation to generation. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pay tribute to such a prolific story with these adorable totes and tees, which sport the book’s iconic imagery. Indulge your inner child and stop by Envy to pick up yours today! After all, a little nostalgia never hurt anybody, right?
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