Inch by Inch) and Sam McBratney (Guess How Much I Love You). These widely-travelled productions incorporate innovative puppetry, striking scenic effects, and evocative original music to provide very young audiences with an effortless introduction to the performing arts and the excitement of reading. Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny features these same elements.Few writers have been as attuned to the concerns and emotions of childhood as Margaret Wise Brown (19101952). Brown, a former teacher, believed that very young children could be fascinated by the simple pleasures of the world around them. Few had previously attempted to write specifically for children aged two to five, and Brown created some of the most enduring and beloved childrens books of all time as well as developed the concept of the first durable board book.Clement Hurd (19081988) graduated from Yale University and studied painting in Paris in the 1930s with Fernand Lger and others. His engaging semi-abstract style became world-famous with the publication in 1942 of The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon in 1947 collaborations with Brown that became two of the 20th Centurys best-known childrens books.Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunnys pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaids staged adaptation will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.