Margaret Wise Brown (1910 - 1952)

Called “the laureate of the nursery for her achievements,” Margaret Wise Brown is the American author of more than 100 beloved children’s books including Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny.  Born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island and educated at Wellsley College, Brown, who longed to write the great American novel, changed the course of illustrated children’s books with more than 100 to her credit.  Her use of the “here and now” approach and focus on a child’s reality helped to reimagine children’s literature and popularize the picture book.  First published in 1947 with illustrations by Clement Hurd, Goodnight Moon has sold millions of copies, as has The Runaway Rabbit (1942). Brown had a long-term relationship with poet, playwright and theatre actor Michael Strange, whose real name was Blanche Oelrichs and also James Stillman Rockfeller, the great nephew of John D. Rockefeller.