The Inspirational Life and Works of Margaret Wise Brown

Fans of children’s literature who love learning more about the lives of their favorite authors will adore In the Great Green Room, Amy Gary’s fascinating biography of Margaret Wise Brown. A prolific author with an incomparable imagination, Brown traveled widely, and lived her life with style and passion. Filled with photographs and bits of unpublished works, this book will give you many lively topics for conversation at your next dinner party—particularly the story of Brown’s spending her entire first advance check at once—on flowers! In honor of this new glimpse into Brown’s “brilliant and bold life,” now is the perfect time to revisit some of your favorite classics.

Goodnight Moon 
An unforgettable classic. Chances are, whether it was read to you as a child, or you have been reading it to a child, you can recite the lines of this one by heart.  The bears! The chairs! The red balloon! The mush! This cozy bedtime story might be one of the most soothing books in history, like a warm cup of chamomile tea on a cold day.

The Runaway Bunny
This famous book is about a little bunny who wants to run away from his mother (which, in children’s literature lore, never goes well). Apparently Brown got the idea for this story while skiing, and wrote the whole book on the back of a receipt once she came down the mountain! Talk about multitasking.

The Sailor Dog
This little Golden Book tells the story of a sailor dog named Scuppers who gets shipwrecked. Find out how Scuppers gets his ship afloat in this sweet seafaring read.

Christmas in the Barn 
Christmas may be months away, but if you’re still in the holiday spirit this book is the perfect fix! Margaret Wise Brown writes her interpretation of the nativity story, accompanied by pitch perfect illustrations by Diane Goode.

The Little Scarecrow Boy 
This is a sweet story about a young scarecrow who wants to be scary, and frighten the birds away, just like his father. Dad doesn’t think his son is ready yet, but will The Little Scarecrow Boy succeed? Boo!

The Dead Bird 
Although this book was originally written in 1938, the bold new illustrations in this 2016 reissue make it feel totally contemporary. As one can glean from the title, this book about a dead bird, which includes a bird funeral, is pretty sad! But Brown writes about this sensitive subject matter in a way that exudes warmth and love.