My World: A Companion to Goodnight Moon

For a small bunny, the big world can be boiled down to "My slippers. / My pajamas. / Daddy's pajamas," and "Mother's chair. / My chair. / A low chair. / A high chair. / But certainly my chair." Back in print after more than 30 years, My World by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd is every bit as reassuring and appealing to young children as its more famous companion, Goodnight Moon. Using the same format, this tale features the rabbit family as they go through their day: brushing teeth, eating breakfast, going fishing, reading stories, and climbing into bed. Black-and-white illustrations alternate with full-color scenes depicting the ever-expanding (yet still comfortably contained) boundaries of a child's life. In one image, the young bunny, clad in blue coveralls, hammers happily on his wooden truck, while Daddy, in matching coveralls, works on his own (real) car just outside the garage. Very young fans of the classic Goodnight Moon will delight in recognizing the characters, illustration style, and gentle rhythmic words in this over-50-year-old picture book. For that matter, older fans will be pretty tickled, too! (Ages 2 to 6) --Emilie Coulter