Of all of the children's books out there, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is one of my absolute favorites. It's simple, it's sweet, it reminds me of simpler times. My mom would read it to me, then she read it to both of my brothers. This children's book is a classic, and has staying power throughout the years. But have you ever really read through Goodnight Moon? And I don't mean the words, I mean the pictures that come along with the words. Let me tell you, there's one thing you never noticed about Goodnight Moon.
The absolutely absurd decor.
Stick with me here. Goodnight Moon is supposed to take place in a child's room, which can be deceiving when you take in the grand state of the room. But it's definitely a child's room, because that's where old lady is putting the child to bed. Have you ever really taken a look around the child's room? It's insane! It's completely insane. Disregarding the atrocious color scheme (angry primary color wheel with a hint of envious green, anyone?), the bedroom holds a few other surprises that you probably haven't noticed over the years. Lucky for you, I'm here to point out all of the insane decor choices you'll find if you take a better look at Goodnight Moon.
1
The Fireplace
No grate, no safety measures, just a wide open fire for a kid to fall into. Things are off to a questionable start.
2
The Tiger Skin Rug
A tiger skin rug — really? Who is this family and what do they do for a living? And why did they put this enormous tiger skin rug in a kids room?
3
The Telephone
Why is there a telephone on the nightstand in a child's bedroom? Is he going to be making important telephone calls during the night? Or maybe he needs to be able to reach his stock broker at all times...
4
'The Runaway Bunny'
If you look carefully, you can see another Margaret Wise Brown classic, The Runaway Bunny, making an appearance in the artwork above the old lady and her rocking chair. In fact, that may be the only thing that makes sense in the room.
5
The Bowl Full Of Mush
A full bowl of mush at a bedside table? Whether the parents are going to let him eat in bed or just letting that bowl of mush hang out there for a while, either way that's pretty unfortunate.
6
The Unhappiest Of Bears
Is it just me, or do these bears look ridiculously unhappy? Who would hang this portrait in a child's room? These bears look like they've all been put in time out.
7
The Size Of The Room
When it comes down to it, this child's bedroom looks more like a studio apartment, doesn't it? With a fireplace, a double page spread, two enormous windows, a twin bed that looks tiny in comparison to the rest of the space... it's huge! Especially for a child's bedroom. And I guess it'd have to be, to fit it in all the wild decor from above.
