6 Ridiculous Goodnight Moon Parodies

Written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, Goodnight Moon was published more than 70 years ago, and yet it remains a favorite of parents and children, who have been lulled to dreamland in the great green room night after night. Naturally, after all these decades as a piece of classic children’s literature, it has become a pick that’s ripe for parody. We’ve rounded up some of our faves that have used Goodnight Moon’s rhyming prose and lovely illustrations as inspiration for their own creations—from a jaunt through modern-day parenting and a tour of a brewery to a sorta-scary send-up and an intro to Pride and Prejudice. Check out our picks.

Goodnight Nanny-Cam: A Parody for Modern Parents, by Jen Nessel, Lizzy Ratner, and Sara Pinto
Modern parents navigating the world of BPA-free bottles, recycled baby wipes, and organic everything will recognize themselves in the pages of this clever send-up of Goodnight Moon. “In the great green-certified room,” begins this picture book more geared toward Mom and Dad than the kiddos, “there was a smartphone and a silver spoon and a high-contrast, brain-stimulating black and white moon.” Of course, the bowl full of mush is totally organic, and the lady whispering hush is a bilingual nanny. Also, be on the lookout of the high window guards to keep the little one safe and French flashcards to get him that head start on the Ivy League.

Goodnight Brew: A Parody for Beer People, by Ann E. Briated and Allie Ogg
Goodnight saison, goodnight wheat, goodnight stout, goodnight IPA, goodnight bock. Bid a fond farewell to all of the beer varieties as you follow an animal crew—comprised of a walrus, wildebeest, cockatoo, and more—around their brewery as they close up shop for the evening. Beer-loving adults who enjoy cracking open a cold one after they tuck the little ones in for the evening will get a kick out of this funny take on Goodnight Moon. And the back of the book takes you through the brewing process, so you might even learn something about your favorite hoppy beverage.

Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation, by Ann Droyd
Who run the world? Gadgets. Lots and lots of gadgets. Bow down to your glowing screen gods with this Goodnight Moon parody for a tech-loving generation. The home in this plugged-in parody is buzzing with devices—iPads, laptops, HDTVs, “three little Nooks with 10,000 books,” and  “a Blackberry ringing with Eminem singing,” among others. And a fed-up old lady who’s just trying to sleep has had enough of all the Facebook posts, viral videos, and “bings, bongs, and beeps of emails and tweets.” She’s saying goodnight to all the devices and pulling them from the tiny hands holding them so everyone can get some much-needed screen-free rest.

Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody, by Michael Rex
Have a little one who can’t get enough of Halloween, ghouls, and goblins? Well, this is the petrifying Goodnight Moon parody for you. You won’t find a great green room in this tale, which opens in a “cold gray tomb” with a gravestone and a black lagoon. Much of the imagery—screechy bats, black hats, “mummies rubbing their tummies,” and more—is more silly than scary, so it shouldn’t creep out the kids too much, especially if they’re into werewolves and the like. And the titular goon? He doesn’t get tucked into bed at the end of the book. As any kid can tell you, goblins sleep under the bed. Duh.

Goodnight Mr. Darcy, by Kate Coombs and Alli Arnold
Fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice hoping to introduce their kiddos to the literary classic at an early age can use this BabyLit parody as a primer. The story opens with Elizabeth Bennet in a great ballroom underneath the Netherfield moon and introduces young readers to all of Austen’s famed characters from the book—like Elizabeth’s sisters Lydia and Kitty, Mr. Darcy, Jane with her blush, and Mr. Bingley turning to mush. And, of course, we can’t forget about the Bennets’ gossiping mother and their father saying, “Hush!” Austen’s old and new fans alike with love this adorable send-up of Goodnight Moon.

Goodnight Lab: A Scientific Parody, by Chris Ferrie
From the author of Quantum Physics for Babies and General Relativity for Babies comes another awesome book for science-minded parents and their budding young scientist kiddos. In the great green lab, there’s a picture of Albert Einstein hanging on the wall and a scientist hard at work at her table. But it’s time to say goodnight, and kids will learn all sorts of new scientific terms as they go through this book—”Goodnight thermometer, Goodnight spectrometer.” And, of course, there’s the grumpy old professor shouting, “Publish!,” who could obviously use a good night’s sleep. Perhaps it’ll help with his crankiness.