How Many Kisses Goodnight

by Jean Monrad Thomas, Eloise Wilkin (Illustrator)

Here are the poignant moments shared between a mother and child as they prepare for slumber in this bedtime lullably. How many blankets tucked round just right? How many kisses to say good night?  

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

8 pages, Board book

First published October 12, 1986

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a version of this book that is not listed on goodreads. I love the illustrations and it is just a quiet, gentle goodnight book for a small child. I loved it when I was young and I love it still.

[Maeghan Kostorowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I am being completely honest, I did not like this story. On the back of the book, it said it is a "traditional" story. I just did not see a point in this story. Also, it just did not really makes sense to me since it was so short. However, this story had lovely illustrations.

[Annie MacPherson]

This book is insanely dated, but I like the little details that fill the illustrated pages, lots to look at together. My mom agreed that it was eerily familiar and may have been one from my early childhood in the 90's!

[Olivia Nahmias · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3 stars*
Why am I not writing children’s books? They’re the easiest sentences on earth. There are lovely illustrations in this book and it’s perfect for budding brains at bedtime.

[Kathleen Hoellerich · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Many Kisses Good Night, by Jean Monrad is a bed time book for young children. There are only two characters, a mother and her toddler daughter. All of the sentences are questions. Every answer to the questions asked would be a number. Some questions the child would be able to answer and others are too many to count. Each question is leading up to the final question, “How many kisses to say good night.”

Each page in the book is very heavy and thick compared to most children books. In the peritext (on the back of the book) the reader finds that the pages are heavy for a reason. The book is made to last, to read to children over and over again. The pages are child proof, knowing that young children are not always the most gentle with things they touch because they are still developing those fine motor skills. The story is timeless and the durability of the book makes it so the book/story can be passed down from generation to generation.

The tone of the story is very soft. Many may think of questions as being said loudly to get an answer but the author uses the questions in a way that they do not all need to have a response. The illustrator helps to support the author’s soft tone with the use of a lot of different colors that are not overly bright. Each question or text has its own page with no picture but the illustrator has a different solid soft color behind the text that compliments the illustration on the page next to it. The author and illustrator work to soothe the reader with still keeping them engaged in the book.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

another swwt read aloud, with flaps to lift.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter loved it. Very simple and easy to animate :)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the 1986 version--very sweet bedtime story.