You’ll probably be surprised by the “Goodnight Moon” author’s thoughts on children

When it comes to children’s stories, there is none so iconic as Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. According to her new biography, however, the Goonight Moon author didn’t actually like children all that much.

In the Great Green Room profiles Brown, who wrote Goodnight Moon and more than 100 other children’s books throughout her career. For being such a prolific children’s writer, Brown herself admitted to less-than-fond feelings about her target audience.

"I don't especially like children," Brown told Life Magazine in 1946. "At least not as a group. I won't let anybody get away with anything just because he's little." Brown herself never had children.

The wonderful @neilhimself reading #GoodnightMoon to @amandapalmer at a #LeonardCohen memorial gig https://t.co/5IQtdDGIZs pic.twitter.com/Am4BScJ936

— Two Hoots (@TwoHootsBooks) December 15, 2016

The biography details Brown’s troubled childhood and her desire to become a great American novelist. Though her career writing children’s books skyrocketed her to success, she seemed wistful about writing more “grown-up” literature.

"I hope to write something serious one day as soon as I have something to say," she said. "But I am stuck in my childhood, and that raises the devil when no one wants to move on."

Children’s books or not, we hope Brown knew how influential her books were for us growing up!