Moonlight

I am as excited as anyone that USPS is issuing a Goodnight Moon stamp. But seeing Clement Hurd’s illustrations out of context on a friend’s Facebook page made me notice the word goodnight. Hurd spells it as one word. But Merriam-Webster’s, the go-to spelling source for editors, firmly spells it as two words. What’s going on here?

I asked AI this question and urge you to do the same. But if it says something like “closing the compound adds to the simple style of the book,” be suspicious. I suspect it was artistic license, combined with a lack of care (both carelessness and not caring) in the burgeoning lucrative field of children’s picture books.

I pointed out the difference in spelling on my friend’s post. Some people loved that I noticed it; others felt that I was spoiling their delight in the stamp. The second group is probably right. I should save copyediting observations for these pages, where people better appreciate them.

(For another lit moment in this book’s more recent history, click here.)

image via USPS