Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrators: Peter Brown, Floyd Cooper, Leo Espinosa, Dadu Shin, David Small, Bob Staake, Blanca Gomez, Molly Idle, Elly Mackay, Satoe Tone, Frank Viva, Mick Wiggins
Published: August 4, 2015 by Sterling Children’s Books
Summary:
Some fine day, just run away
To a long unscheduled day
To where great clouds go sailing by
Above the birds and butterfly.
Fluffy clouds, butterflies, furry bunnies, and life from a bug’s-eye view: This stunning sequel to the New York Times bestseller Goodnight Songs celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature all year long. From Margaret Wise Brown, author of the beloved Goodnight Moon, comes a previously unpublished collection of charming lullabies, gorgeously illustrated by 12 award-winning artists. Once again, a treasure trove of Margaret Wise Brown’s newly uncovered verses receives loving treatment from 12 award-winning artists, including Floyd Cooper, Peter Brown, David Small, Molly Idle, and Bob Staake. From a little bear singing one morning in May to a soft snowfall, mysterious, deep, and glowing, each song is magical.
An accompanying CD, with lilting songs beautifully composed and sung by Emily Gary and Tom Proutt, makes this the perfect gift for children.
Ricki’s Review: This may be one of the most exciting books I’ve received by mail. I am an avid Margaret Wise Brown fan. Some of you may remember my son’s Goodnight Moon party. The minute this package arrived on my doorstep, I grabbed my CD player and put the CD in, and my son and I listened to every song together. We did some dancing and swaying. It was such a fun experience. Each spread is beautifully illustrated by a different artist, and I spent a long time flipping the pages back and forth, trying to pick my favorite song or spread—it was impossible! I fell in love with the poetry of the songs and with the different mood on each page. This book is sure to please both parents and teachers.
Kellee’s Review: I am amazed by everything Margaret Wise Brown can do. First children’s picture books and now beautiful poetry/lyrics in a stunning picture book. Almost all of Trent’s favorite books have music associated with him. Goodnight Songs is a perfect addition to his bedtime reading routine. We really loves all of the songs! In addition to the music and the poems/lyrics, what makes this book stand out even more is the phenomenal illustrations throughout. Some of my favorite illustrators including Melissa Sweet, Molly Idle, Peter Brown, and David Small.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book would be great in elementary school classrooms, but it would also be a great resource for creative writing teachers. We’d love to pair students together and have them work collaboratively to write a song and illustrate a spread to feature the song. We imagine a classroom wall covered in these spreads. Wouldn’t this set a great mood in the classroom?
Discussion Questions: How do the illustrations set the mood for each song? How do you think each illustrator interpreted the words into artwork without the author’s input?; How does this book differ from Margaret Wise Brown’s other work?; Can you find any patterns across the songs?; How does reading the songs differ from listening to them on the CD? How does the audio enhance your reading?
Giveaway! (U.S. Addresses only, please):
Read This If You Love: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown; Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman; Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko
Recommended For:
(with music!)
and
**Thank you to Josh at Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. for providing copies for review and giveaway!**
