Picture Books by Margaret Wise Brown – Listed in the Order of Their Publication

Margaret Wise Brown was born in 1910, and she died from an embolism 42 years later.

By 2022, she would have been 112-years-old. That puts things in perspective for me. Brown was born before World War I began, and she died slowly after World War II ended. She lived during the time of the Great Depression, but I doubt if her wealthy family was affected much by what was a financial setback for most of the rest of the people in the USA.

Before she began writing picture books, she essentially lived off her allowance, but her father encouraged her to seek some type of income for herself.

When she was 27, her first picture book was published. For most of the rest of her short life, at least one of her picture books was published each year. After her death, hundreds of pages of unpublished picture book manuscripts were found. Those books are still being published.

Before I share the following list, I want to admit that before this week, I had formed an absolutely incorrect opinion about the author of Goodnight Moon. I never bothered to check, and I simply assumed that the author of that rocking-chair picture book was probably some little, old lady.

Margaret Wise Brown - Wikipedia

The truth is that Margaret Wise Brown was far from that.

The Radical Woman Behind “Goodnight Moon” | The New Yorker

She was a radical, bisexual, East-Coast socialite, and quite honestly, I wish that I had known her.

For years, she was in a relationship with  Blanche Oelrichs [Michael Strange], who had been married to the famous actor John Barrymore [the brother of Lionel and Ethel Barrymore and the father ofDrew].

Brown admired Gertrude Stein, and Stein collaborated with Brown on at least one picture book. Some people believe that Brown emulated Stein’s writing style in her picture book Goodnight Moon. 

Like Stein, Brown had a female lover. Blanche [Michael] was 20 years older than Brown, and she died while Brown was still quite young. After that, a son of one of the Rockefellers proposed to Brown, but before that marriage could take place, the author died suddenly, of an embolism. She was only 42 when she died, and she was in the South of France.

After I have done a little bit of research,  I realize that Margaret Wise Brown was more of a 1930s jet-setting movie star type than she was a like little old lady. I’m glad that I learned that I had been wrong about her. 

Because she rocked several boats early in her writing career, Margaret Wise Brown ran afoul of the ALA and the New York Library. A bully librarian at the latter blocked Brown’s books for many years, and yet, Brown still managed to be one of the most prolific of all published picture book writers. That is especially true if you consider the ratio of books published per number of years available to write them.

Had she lived to be 100, Margaret Wise Brown never would have been a little old lady. I’ve determined to read as many of her books as I can find.  Quite honestly, I have never been a huge fan of Goodnight Moon, and because of that, I have never read many of Brown’s other books before now. “Hiss, Boo, Shame, Blasphemy,” you say. Recently, I have discovered that in other of her less sparse texts, Margaret Wise Brown was a very good writer. 

Following is a list of her books:

  • When the Wind Blew, illus. Rosalie Slocum (Harper & Brothers, 1937); re-issued by HarperCollins in 1986 illus. Geoffrey Hayes

Bumble Bugs and Elephants: A Big and Little Book: Brown, Margaret Wise, Hurd, Clement: 9780060745134: Amazon.com: Books

  • Bumble Bugs and Elephants: a Big and Little Book, illus. Clement Hurd (W. R. Scott, 1938)

The Little Fireman: Brown, Margaret Wise, Slobodkina, Esphyr: 9780064433891: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Little Fireman, illus. Esphyr Slobodkina (W. R. Scott, 1938)
  • Noisy Book series
  • Amazon.com: The Noisy Book Board Book: 9780062484659: Brown, Margaret Wise, Weisgard, Leonard: Books
    • The Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (W. R. Scott, 1939)
    • The Country Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown - Paperback - 1994 - from Eatons Books and Crafts (SKU:
    • The Country Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (W. R. Scott, 1940)
  • The Seashore Noisy Book | Margaret Wise Brown | First edition
    • The Seashore Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (W. R. Scott, 1941)
  • The Indoor Noisy Book: Brown, Margaret Wise, Weisgard, Leonard: 9780060208202: Amazon.com: Books
    • The Indoor Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (W. R. Scott, 1942)
    • The Noisy Bird Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (W. R. Scott, 1943)
  • Winter Noisy Book: Brown, Margaret Wise, Illustrated by Shaw, Charles G.: Amazon.com: Books
  • The Quiet Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown

The Quiet Noisy Book: A Little-Known Vintage Gem by Margaret Wise Brown – The Marginalian

  • The Quiet Noisy Book: A Little-Known Vintage Gem by Margaret Wise Brown | Margaret wise brown, Childrens books illustrations, Mid century illustration
    • The Quiet Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Harper, 1950)
  • The Art of Children's Picture Books: Vintage Children's Book: The Summer Noisy Book, Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard
    • The Summer Noisy Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Harper, 1951)
  • margaret wise brown - baby animals - AbeBooks
  • Baby Animals, illus. Mary Cameron (Random House, 1941)

The Runaway Bunny: Brown, Margaret Wise, Hurd, Clement: 9780060775827: Amazon.com: Books

Don't Frighten the Lion: Margaret Wise Brown, H.A. Rey: 9780590427555: Amazon.com: Books

  • Don’t Frighten the Lion, illus. H. A. Rey (Harper, 1942)
  • Big Dog, Little Dog, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1943) ‡
  • Horses, illus. Dorothy F. Wagstaff (Harper, 1944), as by “Timothy Hay” and “Wag”, OCLC 5047734

Red light, green light: Brown, Margaret Wise: 9780590445580: Amazon.com: Books

  • Red Light Green Light, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday, 1944) ‡

A Child's Good Night Book; Illustrated by Jean Charlot | Margaret Wise Brown

  • A Child’s Good Night Book, illus. Jean Charlot (W. R. Scott, 1944)

They All Saw It – Koja Agency

  • They All Saw It, illus. Ylla (Harper, 1944)

The Little Fisherman: Wise Brown, Margaret, Ipcar, Dahlov: 9781944762964: Amazon.com: Books

The Little Fisherman: Brown, Margaret Wise, Ipcar, Dahlov: 9781944762155: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Little Fisherman, illus. Dahlov Ipcar (W. R. Scott, 1945). Reissued 2015.

Little Lost Lamb by Margaret Wise Brown

  • Little Lost Lamb, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday, 1945) ‡

How a Maine Fisherman Became Margaret Wise Brown's Alter Ego | Down East Magazine Magazine

Little Fur Family - Wikipedia

The Man in the Manhole and the Fix-It Men by Juniper Sage

Goodnight Moon: Brown, Margaret Wise, Hurd, Clement: 9780064430173: Amazon.com: Books

  • Goodnight Moon, illus. Clement Hurd (Harper, 1947) Brown was 37 – She would die 5 years later

The Golden Sleepy Book (A Golden Classic): Brown, Margaret Wise, Williams, Garth: 9780375827792: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Golden Sleepy Book, illus. Garth Williams (Golden Classic, 1948)

The Golden Egg Book (Little Golden Book): Wise Brown, Margaret, Weisgard, Leonard: 9780385384766: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Golden Egg Book, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Little Golden Books, 1947)

The Sleepy Little Lion by Margaret Wise Brown

  • The Sleepy Little Lion, illus. Ylla (Harper, 1947)

The Important Book: Brown, Margaret Wise, Weisgard, Leonard: 9780064432276: Amazon.com: Books

The Little Cowboy by Margaret Wise Brown

  • The Little Cowboy, illus. Esphyr Slobodkina (W. R. Scott, 1948)

The Little Farmer - Esphyr Slobodkina

  • The Little Farmer, illus. Esphyr Slobodkina (W. R. Scott, 1948)

Wait Till the Moon Is Full: Brown, Margaret Wise, Williams, Garth: 9780064432221: Amazon.com: Books

  • Wait till the Moon is Full, illus. Garth Williams (Harper, 1948)

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown, Alice Provensen, Martin Provensen, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen, from… | Margaret wise brown, Vintage illustration, Children's book illustration

Two Little Miners | National Museum of American HistoryTwo Little Miners | National Museum of American History

My World: A Companion to Goodnight Moon: Brown, Margaret Wise, Hurd, Clement: 9780694008629: Amazon.com: Books

  • My World, illus. Clement Hurd (Harper, 1949)

O Said the Squirrel by Margaret Wise Brown

  • O Said the Squirrel, illus. Ylla (London: Harvill Press, 1950)

Fox Eyes by Margaret Wise Brown

  • Fox Eyes, illus. Garth Williams (Pantheon Books, 1951)
  • The Duck, illus. Ylla (Harper; Harvill, 1952)

Mister Dog - HC Little Golden Book 1980 - Margaret Wise Brown | eBay Mister Dog: The Dog Who Belonged to Himself by Margaret Wise Brown

Mister Dog by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams Analysis – SLAP HAPPY LARRY

  • Mister Dog: The Dog Who Belonged to Himself, illus. Garth Williams (Little Golden Books, 1952)

Doctor Squash the Doll Doctor (A Golden Classic): Brown, Margaret Wise, Hitch, David: 9780375956232: Amazon.com: Books

  • Doctor Squash, The Doll Doctor, illus David Hitch (Random House, Inc, 1952)

Margaret Wise Brown Died from an Embolism at the Age of 42 in 1952.

Published posthumously

LITTLE FRIGHTENED TIGER by MacDonald, Golden (Margaret Wise Brown) - 1953

  • Little Frightened Tiger, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday, 1953) ‡

The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

The Sailor Dog | Books with Pictures and Words

The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown

Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves: The Sailor Dog

Little Brass Band: Brown, Margaret Wise and Clement Hurd: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Little Brass Band, illus. Clement Hurd (Harper & Brothers, 1955)

Sweet Juniper's Vintage Kids Books: Garth WIlliams and Margaret Wise Brown's Heartbreaking Forgotten Masterpiece: Three Little Animals (First Edition, 1956)

Sweet Juniper's Vintage Kids Books: Garth WIlliams and Margaret Wise Brown's Heartbreaking Forgotten Masterpiece: Three Little Animals (First Edition, 1956)

  • Three Little Animals, illus. Garth Williams (Harper, 1956)

Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, Garth Williams, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

Home for a Bunny: Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated By: Garth Williams: 9780307930095 - Christianbook.com

  • Home for a Bunny, illus. Garth Williams (Golden Press, 1956)

Whistle for the Train by Golden MacDonald | Goodreads

  • Whistle for the Train, illus. Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday, 1956) ‡

The Dead Bird: Brown, Margaret Wise, Robinson, Christian: 9780060289317: Amazon.com: Books

Sleepy ABC. by ABC (Brown, Margaret Wise).: (1953) | Truman Price & Suzanne Price

  • Sleepy ABC, illus. Esphyr Slobodkina (HarperCollins, 1994)
  • Another Important Book, illus. Christopher Raschka (Joanna Cotler Books, 1999)

Bunny's Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown, Lisa McCue, Board Book | Barnes & Noble®

  • Bunny’s Noisy Book, illus. Lisa McCue (Hyperion, 2000)

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin: Brown, Margaret Wise, Egielski, Richard: 9780064435345: Amazon.com: Books

Sneakers, the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown, Anne Mortimer, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

  • Sneakers, the Seaside Cat, illus. Anne Mortimer (HarperCollins, 2003)

The Little Scarecrow Boy: Brown, Margaret Wise, Diaz, David: 9780060778910: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Little Scarecrow Boy, illus. DavidDiaz (HarperCollins, 2005)

A Pussycat's Christmas: Brown, Margaret Wise, Mortimer, Anne: 9780061869785: Amazon.com: Books

  • A Pussycat’s Christmas, illus. Anne Mortimer ( Katherine Tegen Books, 2009)

The Fathers Are Coming Home: Brown, Margaret Wise, Savage, Stephen: 9780689833458: Amazon.com: Books

COUNT TO 10 WITH A MOUSE Margaret Wise Brown 9781445499642 | eBay

Count to 10 with a Mouse by Margaret Wise Brown, Kirsten Richards, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

  • Count to 10 with a Mouse, illus. Kirsten Richards (Parragon, 2012)

[Keep in mind that while these illustrations are more appealing to today’s readers, this story was written at least 70 years ago. This verifies that illustrations are invaluable for picture books]

Goodnight Little One: Margaret Wise Brown: 9781474865920: Amazon.com: Books

  • Goodnight Little One, illus. Rebecca Elliott (Parragon, 2012)

Away in My Airplane by Margaret Wise Brown, Henry Fisher, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

Away in my Aeroplane by Margaret Wise Brown | Naive illustration, Book cover illustration, Illustrator inspiration

  • Away in My Airplane, illus. Henry Fisher (Parragon, 2013)

Amazon.com: The Diggers: 0824921044499: Margaret Wise Brown: Books

  • The Diggers, illus. Antoine Corbineau (Parragon, 2013)

Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears (Margaret Wise Brown Classics): Brown, Margaret Wise, Clay, Julie: 9781684127603: Amazon.com: Books

Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears by Margaret Wise Brown, Julie Clay, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

  • Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears, illus. Julie Clay (Parragon, 2013)

One More Rabbit: Brown, Margaret Wise, Levey, Emma: 9781474835152: Amazon.com: Books

These rabbits from 'One More Rabbit' are wishing Margaret Wise Brown a very happy birthday! #ChildrensI… | Rabbit book, Margaret wise brown, Childrens illustrations

  • One More Rabbit, illus. Emma Levey (Parragon, 2014)

Amazon.com: Noon Balloon: 9781474865975: Margaret Wise Brown: Books

  • The Noon Balloon, illus. Lorena Alvarez (Parragon, 2014)

Amazon.com: Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists (Volume 1): 9781454904465: Brown, Margaret Wise: Books

Margaret Wise Brown's Long-lost Goodnight Songs | Fine Books & Collections

A Celebration of the Seasons Goodnight Songs Illustrated CD Music NEW Fine Copy | eBay

A Celebration of the Seasons: Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown, Board Book | Barnes & Noble®

Amazon.com: A Celebration of the Seasons: Goodnight Songs: 9781454931287: Brown, Margaret Wise: Books

Love Song of the Little Bear: Brown, Margaret Wise, Hudson, Katy: 9781474865968: Amazon.com: Books

  • Love Song of the Little Bear, illus. Katy Hudson (Parragon, 2015)

Amazon.com: The Find it Book (Mwb Picture Books): 9781472378187: Margaret Wise Brown, Lisa Sheehan: Books

  • The Find It Book, illus. Lisa Sheehan (Parragon, 2015)
  • Goodnight Little One, illus. Rebecca Elliot (Parragon, 2016)

Amazon.com: Good Day, Good Night: 9780062383105: Brown, Margaret Wise, Long, Loren: Books

Be Brave, Little Tiger! by Margaret Wise Brown, Jean Claude, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

  • Be Brave, Little Tiger!, illus. Jeane Claude (Parragon, 2017)

Happy Little Rabbit: Brown, Margaret Wise, Levey, Emma: 9781474865937: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Happy Little Rabbit, illus. Emma Levey (Parragon, 2017)

Margaret Wise Brown's The Whispering Rabbit (Little Golden Book): Brown, Margaret Wise, Won, Annie: 9780399555183: Amazon.com: Books

  • The Whispering Rabbit, illus. Annie Won (Little Golden Books reissue, 2017)

Two Little Trains: Brown, Margaret Wise, Pizzoli, Greg: 9780062676511: Amazon.com: Books