Goodnight, Levi Yitzhak

In the great green room, there was a telephone..."

In the warm peach-coloured upstairs bedroom, a baby boy was born, delivered by his father,admired by his brother, welcomed with tears and kisses by his mother.

A few days later, a wonderful gift arrived in the mail. It was a copy of Margaret Wise Brown's 'Goodnight, Moon'
The baby was too young to look at the pictures, but he liked the sound of his mother's voice, reading to him after he nursed at bedtime. His brother liked the funny pictures- a bunny wearing his pajamas,two kittens playing with yarn, a warm inviting fire.

"...And two little kittens, and a pair of mittens..."

Soon, the baby became a chubby toddler with blue eyes and blond hair. He ran before he could walk, he climbed everything that he couldn't crawl under, and he made his mother and brother tired. However, that wild baby boy would be a tired little bunny by bedtime. He would arrange his animals in his bed, and then he would bring his book. He would nurse as his mother read to him, and soon, the familiar words sent him smiling off to sleep, and his mother would kiss the tip of his small nose before tucking him in. Then, his brother would read 'Goodnight Moon' to the baby, too, because he had just learned how. And he still liked the funny pictures, of the cow jumping over the moon, and of the three bears, and most of all, the picture of the Mama bunny fishing for her baby bunny from another favourite book.

"...And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady who was whispering 'hush'"

The toddler became faster, and stronger, and thought of everything that there was to do, just before his mother thought of it. He cut a garden hose in half with a pair of pruning shears at Target. He used the display toilet at Home Depot when he had to go. He told a group of car salesmen that he liked to drink beer, and that his mother allowed him to. He told his kindergarten teacher that he didn't have any shoes, so his mother made him wear socks to school. That 'quiet old lady ' whispering was really just tired , and wanted some peace and quiet. Still, that boy loved this book. He didn't nurse any more, and indeed fought bedtime as though it was instead a life sentence to eat nothing but broccoli and peas. But, finally, when he was too sleepy to tape cotton balls on the cat, when he was too tired to draw mean faces on his brother's underpants with felt markers, he would at last lie down, book in hand.
Now, he would start the sentences for his mother. He would finish sentences as well. Once, he read the entire book, and managed to put his poor tired mother to sleep.

Goodnight room
Goodnight moon"

Then, in the peach-coloured bedroom, a new baby boy was born. This new baby boy was caught by the midwife, who was quicker this time. He was admired by his oldest brother, and hugged by his wild brother. He was kissed by his mother, and held by his father. Then, his brother, the brother who jumped instead of walking, who touched everything with his tongue, his brother who loved 'Goodnight Moon', went and got his book. The book that he loved as a baby, and as a toddler, and as a wild boy. And he sat next to the new baby, and he stroked his fuzzy little head, and he cuddled him, and he opened his book, and began to read. The new baby grew still, and his eyes opened wide, as he listened to his brother's voice.

"...Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
Goodnight noises
Everywhere"

And the new baby became drowsy, and the boy kissed him on the tip of his small nose, and they both slept.

This is the story of how 'Goodnight Moon' became the favourite of each boy when they were small. Each of the boys loved this book, and each has read it to younger brothers, and to visiting babies. Their mother has bought four new copies of this book to give to each boy when he is a man holding his new baby for the first time. You should probably do the same.