Goodnight, Broom: A Spine-Tingling Spoof

PreS-K–Margaret Wise Brown’s classic Goodnight Moon has been touched by the Halloween spirit in this jewel-toned board book about a wee witch’s goodnight routine. Adamson stays true to the many elements of the original while adding a spooky flair with brooms, cats, cauldrons, googly eyes, and more. The rhyme, rhythm, and onomatopoeia give a clear flow and movement to the wee witch’s nighttime ritual. The jewel-tone color choice is representative of the modern palette now used during Halloween with purple, teal, pink, and gold. The setup of the room and the “witchy” details are impressive and thought out but overwhelm the text and story and may keep it from being a great fit for toddlers. So many objects, patterns, and colors that aren’t necessary to maintain the spooky vibes compete for space—the spoof of the original text works well without too much fanfare.