Unpublished: The Found Manuscripts of Margaret Wise Brown

By Margaret Wise Brown

Margaret Wise Brown was the author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, along with hundreds of other books, stories and songs. She was renowned not only for her prolific writing and publishing savvy, but also for her stunning beauty and thirst for adventure. She spent her royalties on extravagant parties and was known for making friends wher

• Language: English
• Publisher: WaterMark, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781882077380

Margaret Wise Brown

Margaret Wise Brown, cherished for her unique ability to convey a child’s experience and perspective of the world, transformed the landscape of children’s literature with such beloved classics as Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Other perennial favorites by Ms. Brown include My World; Christmas in the Barn; The Dead Bird; North, South, East, West; and Good Day, Good Night.

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Unpublished:

The Found Manuscripts of Margaret Wise Brown

By Margaret Wise Brown

This is a digital, abridged version of Margaret Wise Brown’s Unpublished Works originally published in paperback in 1993. Additionally, some these works were published by WaterMark, Inc. in one or more of the following books: Unpublished Works by Margaret Wise Brown, Copyright © 1992; White Freesias, Copyright © 1999; Willie the Whistling Giraffe, Copyright © 1999; and Yours in Fishnet, Copyright © 2002

All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

(ebook) 978-1-882077-38-0

Book and cover design by Pilar Taylor

Illustrations by Margaret Wise Brown

Edited by Izabell Slade

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These works are not in the public domain. Please refer to this circular from the Copyright Office https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap3.pdf

§303 · Duration of copyright: Works created but not published or copyrighted before January 1, 1978 (a) Copyright in a work created before January 1, 1978, but not theretofore in the public domain or copyrighted, subsists from January 1, 1978, and endures for the term provided by section 302. In no case, however, shall the term of copyright in such a work expire before December 31, 2002; and, if the work is published on or before December 31, 2002, the term of copyright shall not expire before December 31, 2047.

For permissions or additional information please contact: Permissions, WaterMark, Inc. P. O. Box 361243, Hoover, AL 35236 or email us at [e-mail] These works are not in the public domain and were published according to U.S. Copyright guidelines for extended copyright protection.

Publisher’s Note

The following poems, letters and notes were written by Margaret Wise Brown, the author of many well-known works for children such as Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. We are pleased to present this first installment of Margaret’s papers that will give students and writers of children’s literature a glimpse into the mind and business dealings of one of the most enduring writers of children’s books. Before she died she also was creating lyrics for songs, dances for ballets, scripts for television and radio. Her ideas for some of those projects will be included in this series.

Her dual roles of writer and editor kept her at the fore-front of children’s works. This platform allowed her to experiment with other avenues of entertainment for children, including music, drama, radio shows and the burgeoning field of television. She wanted stories for children to be available to all children, and suggested to cereal companies they place tales on the backs of their cereal boxes. When Golden books first appeared, many reviewers and librarians were appalled that prior boundaries of quality publishing standards were being compromised. Margaret supported the idea of creating affordable books, penning many tales for Golden that are still in print today. She responded to the negative reception of these mass-produced books with the quote The quality of a book is determined by the writing and the illustrations, not its printing. Her notes on this article appear in this work.

She once stated that the author of a book didn’t seem important to her as a child; it was the story that was important. As she once said of writing, "One can but hope to make a child laugh or feel clear and happy-headed as he follows the simple rhythm to its logical end. It can jog him with the