We would like to give honorable mentions to but a few of our favorite entries: Nan Summers, age 7, of Omaha, Nebraska, for her fantastic illustrated tale "Fluff and the Bears," and to Emily Cisneros, age 9, of San Antonio, Texas, for her wonderful story. It seems that all of our young entrants have fertile imaginations.
Also thanks to grown-up "Goodnight Moon" fans Ruth F. Niven of West Franklin, New Hampshire, and Michelle Whitley Turner of St. Paris, Ohio, for their moving entries.
And the winners are . . .
Adult category, recalling a memory of reading "Goodnight Moon":
Janet Cleland Dullinger, St. Cloud, Minnesota
"Yeah, what's the big deal about that book?" he says. "I don't know," I say. "The pictures are the same on every page, the room is, like, gigantic for a bedroom, those hideous striped curtains --"
"Yeah, and nothing happens," he says. My thoughts exactly.
But she keeps bringing it, and slowly a transformation takes place. "Did you ever notice the pages get progressively darker as the sun sets?" I say to Dennis. "Yeah, and the clock hands are moving?" He shoots back. "I can't always find the mouse, can you find the mouse every time?" I ask. "I don't know. But that cow jumping over the moon picture is also in 'The Runaway Bunny' . . . " "No, it's a little different . . ."
We are sustaining a conversation based on "Goodnight Moon." Either it is a good book, or we have to get out more. We decide it's a good book. So good, in fact, that we pick it out. Kathryn's five now, and I think she mumbled, "Not again . . . "
Children's category, writing a new story based on the famous picture of the "Goodnight Moon" room:
Rebekah Frumkin, age 7, Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
It was time for bed. Baby Bunny let his mother kiss him goodnight. After a short period of time Bunny woke up. His mom and dad were already asleep so Baby Bunny got out of bed and looked around. He slipped his slippers on and got his red balloon and held it in his hand tight and said, "I wish that those bears in that picture would come alive." And at that minute that same thing happened. So Baby Bunny said hello and pulled up a chair. Then one of the bears said, "How about some cookies and milk?" Baby Bunny looked puzzled but agreed and they ate and chatted until Baby Bunny said, "I feel drowsy." Then Baby Bunny fell asleep.
The bears stopped chatting and eating and noticed that Baby Bunny was asleep. And the bears carried Baby Bunny into bed and went into the picture. The next morning Baby Bunny woke up surprised to see that the bears were in the picture. And before Baby Bunny could investigate more his mom called him for breakfast and anyway it was Baby Bunny's favorite -- pancakes!
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