The U.S. Postal Service will introduce its Goodnight Moon Forever stamps on May 2, 2025, at The Rabbit hOle, a new children’s literature museum in North Kansas City, Missouri. The unveiling, set for 11 a.m. Central, kicks off festivities leading into Children’s Book Week, May 5-11. The event celebrates the enduring legacy of Goodnight Moon, the beloved picture book by Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Clement Hurd.
The free, public first-day-of-issue ceremony will feature Thacher Hurd, a children’s book creator and son of illustrator Clement Hurd. He will share memories of his father and Brown, who died in 1952, and read Goodnight Moon aloud. The Rabbit hOle, located at 919 E. 14th Ave., opened in 2024 to immerse visitors in a century of American children’s stories, making it a fitting venue for the stamp debut.
The Goodnight Moon stamps, designed by USPS art director Derry Noyes, showcase scenes from Hurd’s iconic illustrations. The pane captures the book’s cozy bedroom setting, where a young bunny bids good night to everyday objects like a red balloon and a pair of socks. As Forever stamps, they will remain valid for First-Class Mail 1-ounce postage regardless of future price changes.
Published in 1947 by Harper & Brothers, Goodnight Moon gained traction in the 1950s through parental word-of-mouth, eventually becoming one of the bestselling children’s books ever, per HarperCollins data. Brown’s soothing text—“In the great green room / There was a telephone / And a red balloon”—pairs with Hurd’s vibrant, then dimming, artwork to create a timeless bedtime ritual. The book has comforted generations for over 75 years, encouraging children and parents to personalize its gentle narrative.
The Rabbit hOle event aligns with the museum’s mission to bring classics to life. Attendees are urged to RSVP at usps.com/goodnightmoonstamps, and the Postal Service is promoting the launch with #GoodnightMoonStamps on social media. The ceremony underscores the book’s cultural impact, which spans from its initial modest reception to its status as a household name.
Brown, born in 1910, crafted the story’s hypnotic rhythm, while Hurd, born in 1908, alternated colorful panoramas with black-and-white details, mirroring sleep’s onset. Their collaboration, now honored by USPS, remains a staple in children’s literature. The stamps join a tradition of literary tributes by the Postal Service, following issues like the 2017 The Snowy Day stamps.
