Goodnight Moon

You know how sometimes you've had a thought in the back of your mind for a while, but it's never had a reason to come to the surface and then... all of the sudden... BAM!  It's like you realized something you have been subconsciously been wondering about for years?  I had a moment like that this week, as I was reading to my child. 

It was early evening and we were reading "B is for Bear" (and excellent touchy-alphabet book), and then went on to read Hop on Pop (not my favorite of the Dr. Seuss books, but since we have two copies I feel like it's in the rotation a fair bit).  And then, just for fun (and because we also have two of them - one "lap version" (big) and a small, diaper bag sized edition) I decided to read "Goodnight Moon."

Holy crap, that bunny's room is haunted!

That's why I've never liked this book!  Because it's a freaking haunted book!  Try reading it in your best scary story voice and you'll know it to be true...

Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon... (muah ha ha ha ha)

Goodnight to the freaking noises everywhere because that old lady in the rocking chair is going to kill you.  

I mean, just look at it.  If I were a set dresser and I was looking for a master bedroom in a horror film, I wouldn't have to look any further.  The weird curtains.  The fireplace.  The black and white pages (mug shots) in the middle of the book.  The room gets darker and darker, and the mouse eats all that bunny's bowl of mush.  It is not a safe place, and not a room I would want to fall asleep in.

So, Goodnight, creepy book.  Until the next time I forget and think "this is good for children."  No wonder babies hate sleeping - we read them such scary stuff.