The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon is one of the most popular children’s books of all time - since its publication in 1947, millions of people have read the classic tale of a little bunny saying goodnight to the objects and creatures in his great green room. But most people know little to nothing about the wild, spectacular life of that great green room’s creator, Margaret Wise Brown. Author Mac Barnett is here to change that.

In just 42 pages, one for each year of Brown’s life, Barnett paints a vivid picture of the radical woman who revolutionized children’s literature. This is not a detailed biography - the text and accompanying illustrations are both beautiful and profound in their simplicity, much like Brown’s own writing. He tells us only what is most essential, because, as he writes, “You can’t fit somebody’s life into 42 pages, so I am just going to tell you some important things.” Among those important things:

• She was a queer woman who had relationships with both men and women (hence the selection of this book for LGBTQ+ Pride Month)

• As a child, she had thirty-six pet rabbits - when they died, she skinned them and wore their pelts

• She swam naked in ice-cold water

• A conservative librarian banned her books from New York Public Library for many years (Brown herself was banned from even entering the library)

• Her favorite dog was named Crispin’s Crispian

Barnett acknowledges that many people think some of these things are not appropriate for children to read. But he includes them anyway, because they are true, and from what we know about her, this is exactly what Margaret Wise Brown would have wanted. She didn’t mind that many people (mostly grown-ups) thought her books were strange, and she kept writing because she thought children deserved to have quality books about things they were interested in, just like adults. She knew children liked stories about things they knew and saw every day, things like tables and telephones and kittens and balloons, things that grown-ups might call “ordinary” or “boring.” She knew all this because she actually talked to children, and used their opinions, thoughts, and feelings to form her stories. She wrote for children, in a way that no author had done before.

Quite possibly the most important thing about Margaret Wise Brown was her commitment to truth, honesty, and artistry in her writing. Barnett writes, “Lives are strange. And there are people who do not like strange stories, especially in books for children. But sometimes you find a book that feels as strange as life does. These books feel true. These books feel important. Margaret Wise Brown wrote books like this, and she wrote them for children, because she believed children deserve important books.”

Wishing all readers a happy Pride, full of strange and wonderful books!