The Enduring Wisdom of 'Goodnight Moon'

[markie]

1. ...

paywall... so an aside about Margaret Wise Brown...

https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/03/27/margaret-wise-brown-the-important-book/

"...Brown — a woman of uncommon genius and nonconformity — begins with things that seem obvious, even banal. But her singular sensibility quickly becomes apparent: In telling us that the most important thing about the grass is its greenness, she lists among its other attributes the uncommon perception, stated as a common fact, that the grass is “tender,” imbuing so indifferent a life-form with so essentially human a quality. Instantly your mind bursts with scenes of lovers kissing in the grass and children playing in the grass — a single word-choice, and suddenly a universe of feeling..."

"The important thing about
THE IMPORTANT BOOK
is that you let your child
tell you what is important
about the sun and the moon
and the wind and the rain
and a bug and a bee
and a chair and a table
and a pencil and a bear
and a rainbow and a cat
(if he wants to)
For the important thing about
THE IMPORTANT BOOK
is that the book goes on
long after it is closed."



The important thing
about the sky is that it is always
there. It is true that it is blue,
and high, and full of clouds
and made of air.
But the important thing about
the sky, is that it is always there.