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64 of 65 found the following review helpful:
 Good for teaching French, but not as magical as the originalMar 09, 2005
By Melissa M. Manwaring
This book is a near-literal translation of the original "Good Night Moon," including copies of the original pictures. Because my 18-month-old loves the original English version, and because I'm trying to teach him French, I ordered "Bonsoir Lune" so that he could associate the French words with the pictures and story that he already knows in English. For that purpose, it works fine.
I was, however, disappointed with the color and quality of the pictures in this version. First, the colors do not match the original very well; for instance, the red shades from the original look hot pink in the French version. This is not purely an aesthetic complaint: it can be confusing to your child when you're reading about a "ballon rouge" - a red balloon - that's actually pink. Moreover, the pictures in the French version appear to be nothing more than color photocopies of the originals. They're far less clear and sharp than the originals, particularly toward the end when the room scene gets darker and darker.
In addition, much of the poetry and rhythm of the English version is lost in the French. The rhyming couplets in the English (such as "Goodnight bears, goodnight chairs") are translated faithfully, but as a result they don't have the same rhyme or rhythm ("Bonsoir oursons, bonsoir les chaises"). Translators often have to decide whether to translate as literally as possible or to translate more freely in order to retain the overall sound and impression, and in this case the translators went with the former route. So, if your primary interest is in using the French version as a companion piece to the English version in order to teach your little one French, then the literalness of the translation is a good thing. However, if you're expecting the translation to capture the same soothing rhyme patterns as the original, you'll be disappointed. (I found only one exception to the literalness of the translation - the final phrase "Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere" is translated as "Bonsoir les etoiles, bonsoir l'air, bonsoir les bruits de la terre" - which isn't quite literal but does preserve a bit of the poetry).
Finally, I should point out that this version is *completely* in French - no English "subtitles" or French pronunciation guides - so it's probably best for those who know French fairly well or who know the English version by heart.
35 of 38 found the following review helpful:
 A favorite story en Francais!Feb 14, 2000
This is the French version of the popular "Goodnight Moon." Iwas looking all over for some simple French storybooks to read to my baby (now 12 months) and was delighted to find this book we are already familiar with. I haven't used my French much since college, but I would like for my baby to learn the language at a young age. I have purchased other French children's books on-line but found they were for older children (those who won't be flipping the pages every 5 words) and required a French dictionary nearby for my limited vocabulary. Since I have pretty much memorized the English-version "Goodnight Moon" and so has he, this is a good one for us to start out with.
22 of 23 found the following review helpful:
 poorly translated!Aug 14, 2007
By K. Hancock
The French translation for this book is not well done. I do not recommend it for anyone who is trying to teach their child proper French. The entire premise is that it's a bedtime book, and "Goodnight moon" implies saying goodnight as one goes to bed. "Bonsoir lune" implies more of a "good evening", as if one were being greeted in a restaurant for dinner. "Bonne nuit" would be a much more appropriate translation. This is just an example of several contextual as well as technical translating errors throughout the book.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
A great way for your child to learn frenchMar 19, 2006
By Olivia
"Olivia"
We got this bok because we are trying to teach our 5 yr old some basic French. This book is great for naming objects and the repetitive nature of the ryhmes make it easy for the child to learn. Since she knew and loved the english version, this was a great way to learn some french.
I recomend this with Ours Brun, Dis-Moi (Brown Bear What Do You See), Devine Combien Je t' Aime (Guess How Much I Love You) and La La Chenille Qui Fait Des Trous (The Very Hungry Caterpillar). These are books your child already know by heart and are a great way to introduce a second language to your young child.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
mediocre translationJul 09, 2010
By Claire's mom
The translation is literal - good for anglophone kids looking to learn a few nouns in French, but doesn't stand on its own as a kids' book for francophone kids. It doesn't have the rhythm of the English version and it doesn't rhyme.
Also, I disagree with their choice of "Bonsoir" instead of "Bonne Nuit." In my opinion "Good Night Moon" means good night more in the sense of "sleep well" (bonne nuit) than "good evening" (bonsoir).
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