Goodnight Little One

Wise Brown, M. (2012). Goodnight little one. Bath, UK:  Parragon.

Margaret Wise Brown is a well-known children's author with her most noted work, Goodnight Moon.  I have read a few of Brown's books with (or rather to) my son.  I have to say that Goodnight Little One is probably my favorite.  It is a wonderful book to read at bedtime.

Goodnight Little One is a sweet and simplistic poem about animals and then a small child going to sleep for the night.  The artwork is beautiful with lots of dark blues, grays and greens.  The most striking page, however, is in the middle of the book.  In that stanza, the speaker is addressing a pig.  The colors are vibrant reds and produce a warm feeling.

The language is simple and repetitive.  The rhythm and rhyme scheme create a soothing mood and forces the reader to read slowly in a heartbeat like rhythm.  The alliteration within the book also provides comforting sounds when read aloud.  At the end of the book, the speaker addresses a small child, which allows the audience to feel connected to the other subjects within the book.

Due to the repetitive nature of the picture book, Goodnight Little One would be a great book for a child learning to read.  I know most of the text could be easily memorized; yet, many children learn to read in that way.  I bought Brown's book for Brody as a Valentine's Day gift.  Since then, we have read the book several times at bedtime.  Every time, I can see his eye lids get heavy.  I must admit, mine get a little heavy too.

Related Readings:
The Runaway Bunny