I love Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. Truly I do.
And I’ve never quite approved of writers who use the book’s easygoing rhythm and understated whimsy for playful parody.
But the other day, the Menopause Devil came over me, and I just couldn’t resist. Here goes:
Goodnight Menopause
In the great dusty room
There was a fan
And a scale
And a picture of me without any age spots
And there was a bag of potato chips sitting on a chair
And two worn out bras
And a book on menopause
And a clock ticking time
And a little nip of wine
And eyeglasses and moisturizer and a bowl of M and M’s
And my own grown children who were whispering, “AHEM!”
Goodnight room
Goodnight moon
Goodnight menopause making me loopier than the moon
The End (© Barbara Younger, 2011)
Goodnight me thinking I could parody a great picture book!
Margaret Brown, who died, sadly, before she could go through menopause (and write lots more wonderful books for children), had a wicked sense of humor. Maybe she wouldn’t mind my attempt. And it was fun.
But studying Goodnight Moon for this post gave me a new thought. The next time menopause gets you down, either from gloom, nervousness, or insomnia, choose a calming activity such as reading an enchanting picture book. Lose yourself in the calm.
No matter what calming activity you try, be sure to also pick up a copy of Goodnight Moon. Celebrate the wonder of the great green room and the sweet old bunny whispering, “Hush.” And speaking of the bunny, I wonder how her menopause was?
Goodnight Moon: Although this story seems almost old-fashioned today, Margaret Wise Brown was an innovator in the field of children’s picture books. Read more about her at Margaretwisebrown.com. Goodnight Moon’sillustrator, Clement Hurd, illustrated over seventy books for kids. He and Margaret Wise Brown collaborated on another favorite, The Runaway Bunny.
Photo: The photo above is the cover of the copy of Goodnight Moon that lives at our house (copyright Harper and Row, 1947). If I’m fortunate enough to have grandchildren, they will each get their own copies. In fact, if I have grandchildren, I’ll buy them as many copies as they want, one for each room of their house and one to spare. The photo below is the elegant and energetic Margaret Wise Brown.
Barbara Younger
Barbara Younger blogs from her home in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Along with Friend for the Ride: Encouraging Words for the Menopause Roller Coaster (http://friendfortheride.com), she writes books for children and adults. She lives in an old house with her husband Cliff. and collections of everything from dolls to buttons to bookmarks. She's the mother of two grown daughters and the grandmother to one adorable baby boy!
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