In Praise of Goodnight Moon

The period in Western history after the Dark Ages but before the Enlightenment is known as the Renaissance because it was a rediscovering--or literally "rebirth"--of forms of art, technology, and philosophy that had generally been lost since ancient times.  The implication in calling it a "Renaissance" is that it all already existed in the ancient world, and our society was not inventing new things but merely becoming aware once more.  Of course, that's not entirely true.  Music, art, theater and fashion were more advanced during the Renaissance than they had ever been during ancient times.  Renaissance Europeans explored more of the planet than the ancient Romans ever did.  The foundation was laid for novel advances in economic and political thought.  The term "Renaissance" isn't entirely unfair, because that period represented a time of flourishing that hadn't been experienced in over a millenium.  But it was more than a simple rebirth; it was the beginning of a cultural revolution.

Becoming a father has been a similar experience.  I'm rediscovering joys I hadn't known since childhood--books like "Fox in Socks" and "Cordoroy Bear."  But at the same time, these books offer new depth.  I never realized before that Cordoroy Bear is the story of a middle-class African American family in the 1940's.  Today it may be easy to take that for granted, but at the time it must have been groundbreaking.

Similarly, reading Goodnight Moon to my son does more than evoke golden memories.  I'm experiencing the book like never before.  If that sounds like unecessarily high praise, try reading the book again.  Famed author Susan Cooper has pointed out that it's not so much a story, or even a poem, as it is a "deceptively simplistic ritual."  Of course it is--it's exactly the kind of bedtime routine that comforts and relaxes a child.  And by incorporating the book into Nathan's bedtime routine, Nathan is comforted and relaxed as well.  But, as Ms. Cooper said, it is deceiptively simple.  The book has a surprising depth; after over a hundred readings, I've still only experienced a fraction of what the book has to offer.

A big part of its depth lies in its attention to detail.  As the story progresses, the clocks move forward in time and the moon rises in the window.  The light dims, the playful kittens get sleepy, and finally the old lady leaves the room as the bunny falls asleep.

I'd go on, but Wikipedia has beat me to it.  Here's a list of things that change in the living, breathing room:

• the hands on the two clocks progress from 7 PM to 8:10 PM.
• the young mouse and kittens wander around the room. The mouse is present in all pages showing the room.
• the room lighting grows progressively darker.
• the moon rises in the left-hand window.
• the socks disappear from the drying rack.
• the open book in the bookshelf is The Runaway Bunny.
• the book on the nightstand is Goodnight Moon.
• in the painting of the three bears, the painting hanging in the bears' room is a painting of a cow jumping over the moon.
• the painting of the fly-fishing bunny, which appears only in two
  color plates, appears to be black and white (or otherwise devoid of
  color). It is very similar to a picture in the book "The Runaway Bunny".

I encourage you to read the full article; it's a miniature monument to one of the greatest children's books ever written.

That's why I don't call this rediscovery.  I'm appreciating this book in ways I never did as a kid.  What's even more amazing is that while Nathan loves the book now, in thirty years he'll enjoy it in ways he can't even imagine today.

J<