Buenas noches, Luna

A small rabbit in a big green room says goodnight to everything around him before sleep: the red balloon, the telephone, the two little kittens, the bowl full of mush, and the old lady whispering "hush". Margaret Wise Brown's rhymes slow with each page while Clement Hurd's illustrations dim from bright colour to shadow, mimicking the end of the day. The moon rises in the window and the book closes with the room dark and still.

Parents of toddlers keep it by the bed because the ritual of naming familiar objects lets young children wind down. Few picture books are as simple or as steady for bedtime.

Practical, outward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.

Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?