Good Day, Good Night

Created from two unpublished fragments written by Brown in 1950, this book seems slyly designed to answer the question, “What happened to that bunny from Goodnight, Moon?” This bunny has brown fur and is older and more independent. Long’s velvety, energetic acrylics follow him from sunup to nightfall: he zooms around town on his bike delivering newspapers, cares for his pet kitten, and plays soccer with pals. While a connection to Goodnight, Moon is never made explicit, it’s there for anyone who wants to see it: there’s that lilting, compact language (“Good morning to you!/ Open your eyes/ For every day/ Is a new surprise”) and, at day’s end, the rabbit retires to a bedroom in an underground burrow that features familiar visual cues, including a fireplace, red windows, and a rocking chair in the corner. Whatever the original intent behind the texts that make up this story, it’s comforting to imagine that the bunny so many know and love could have turned out to be such a sturdy and confident fellow. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)