- By:
- Caroline Parr

If you find yourself in
Most parents who’ve raised children in the last fifty years are familiar with Brown’s most enduring work, “Goodnight, Moon.” Written in hypnotic rhyme and illustrated in warm reds and greens by Clement Hurd, the book did not make a splash on first publication in 1947, selling a respectable but modest 6,000 copies that fall. But the book gradually found an audience, and by now total sales reportedly top 11 million copies.
In addition to this classic, Brown wrote many more picture books, stories and poems that are worth seeking out.
“Where Have You Been?” begins, “Little Old Cat, Little Old Cat, where have you been? To see this and that, said the Little Old Cat, that’s where I’ve been.” In succeeding verses the owl narrator asks about the whereabouts of bees, bunnies, birds and whales, in short verses with the appeal of nursery rhymes. The repetition and the parade of animals make this a good choice for toddlers, while beginning readers will start predicting the rhymes as the book progresses, an important pre-reading skill. My childhood edition was illustrated with delicate black and white drawings by Barbara Cooney, but the book was reissued several years ago with full-color art by Caldecott Medal-winning artists Leo and Diane Dillon.
“The Sailor Dog,” illustrated in an oversized edition by Garth Williams, tells how Scuppers the dog sails the oceans, survives a shipwreck and visits exotic ports. Garth William’s full-color illustrations detail every wave, palm tree and plank of his ship. At the end of the book, he’s back on the water again: "And here he is where he wants to be, a sailor sailing the deep green sea." The original book is perfect for chanting and singing at storytimes, but even the truncated Golden Books edition will appeal to preschoolers.
“The Important Book” reflects Brown’s embrace of the
The author of these timeless books was far from the gentle soul readers might imagine. Born into a well-to-do family in
Adults interested in her life will enjoy Leonard Marcus’s fascinating biography, “Margaret Wise Brown, Awakened by the Moon,” which evokes the personalities and social milieu of the golden age of picture books.
This article was originally published in the Free Lance-Star on May 18.