Written by Amy Crawford, the children’s book “Goodnight Moon” has held a place in a lot of children’s hearts. According to a Smithsonian article the book has sold over 48 million copies, meaning the book has been read to over 48 million young children all over the world. Personally when I think of a book from my childhood I think of ‘Goodnight Moon’ so much so that it is on display in my room and whenever my nephews and nieces come over I spread a piece of my childhood with them. All this makes me wonder how the book came to be.
The story of how the idea popped into Crawford’s head is as fitting as it could be, she recalls the idea of the book coming to her in a ‘vivid dream’. Which matches the book’s vague and dreamlike aura. This all revolves around her childhood routine of saying goodnight to her toys in her room with her sister. The book is supposed to have the underlying theme of childhood and uneasiness of falling asleep.
A lot of people seem to ignore the over-heading theme of the uncertainty of falling asleep as a child. The repetition of the book serves as a device that mimics a child trying to calm themselves to sleep. The book also has the interpretation of the said child in the book being uncertain of what is around them.
The book is said to be a revelation of its time (1947) as it breaks the pattern of children’s books being told of fairy tales and mythical stories. Instead “Goodnight Moon” comes from the child themselves and reflects on how children tell themselves stories. This adds to the book’s setting, the dreamlike feeling is also the child’s own little world. This is why a lot of children seem to cling to the book as I did. It is one of the first stories as a child that I could relate to.
Overall a lot of books from our childhood have deeper meanings that lack being explored. Amy Crawford shared a small piece of her childhood with over 48 million children, with many aspects that divulge into deeper meanings. She creates a deeper literature than just a children’s book that seems to go unnoticed.
