2025 First-Class Forever Stamp - Goodnight Moon: Painting of the Cow Jumping Over the Moon

US #6002d
2025 The Cow Jumps Over the Moon

• Part of a set of 8 stamps featuring illustrations from Goodnight Moon book
• The children’s classic was written in 1947

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set: Goodnight Moon
Value:  73¢ ...  more

US #6002d
2025 The Cow Jumps Over the Moon

• Part of a set of 8 stamps featuring illustrations from Goodnight Moon book
• The children’s classic was written in 1947

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set: Goodnight Moon
Value:  73¢ First-Class Mail (Forever
First Day of Issue: May 2, 2025
First Day City: North Kansas City, Missouri
Quantity Issued: 20,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Pane of 16
Perforations:  Die Cut

Why the stamp was issued:  This stamp is part of a set of eight issued to honor the popular children’s book, Goodnight Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown and published in 1947. 

About the stamp design: The eight stamps in the set feature details from different pages of the book.  This one shows a painting of a cow jumping over the moon, as is mentioned in the nursery rhyme, “Hey Diddle Diddle.”  Art director, Derry Noyes, used the artwork by illustrator Clement Hurd to design the pane of stamps.

First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at The Rabbit hOle in North Kansas City, Missouri.  The Rabbit hOle is a museum that focuses on American children’s literature.  The stamps were dedicated in anticipation of Children’s Book Week (May 5-11). 
Thacher Hurd, son of the book’s illustrator, was at the ceremony and read the book aloud to the audience.

About the Goodnight Moon set: For generations, Goodnight Moon has been a child’s final glimpse of the waking world before drifting into dreams.  Simple yet poetic, its soothing words and familiar objects transform bedtime into something magical.
Each stamp captures an iconic image from the book, preserving in miniature the details that have made this book unforgettable.  The quiet old lady saying hush, the bunny tucked snug into bed, the little house glowing with an inner light – every element is a thread in the rich tapestry of childhood memories.  Even the smallest details, like a bowl of mush, remind us of the comfort found in routine.  The picture of the cow leaping over the moon stands as a final reminder that the world of dreams knows no limits.
The Goodnight Moon stamps join a growing legacy of US stamps celebrating beloved children’s books. From Children’s Classics (1993) to The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (2021), these stamps honor the stories that shape young minds.  They are a tribute to the books that lull us to sleep, teach us to read, and remain in our hearts long after childhood fades.
Like Goodnight Moon itself, these stamps will be cherished for years to come.  They celebrate not just a book, but a universal experience such as the quiet moments before sleep, the warmth of home, and the stories that stay with us forever.

History the stamp represents: Above the fireplace a cow takes flight, soaring over the moon in an impossible, whimsical leap.  It is a moment of pure imagination, drawn straight from one of the oldest and most beloved nursery rhymes: “Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat
and the Fiddle, the Cow Jumped Over the Moon.”
But why a cow? The origins of this playful rhyme remain a mystery, but some believe it dates back centuries, possibly inspired by ancient folklore or even astrological myths.  The image of a cow defying gravity has delighted children for generations, proving that in the world of imagination, anything is possible.
Margaret Wise Brown understood the power of the familiar.  She wove Hey Diddle Diddle into Goodnight Moon, giving young readers a sense of comfort—a nod to a rhyme they likely already knew. By including the leaping cow among the pictures in the great green room, she gave children a gentle bridge between the real and the fantastic.  Its presence adds just the right touch of magic to a room filled with hushes and soft light.
This stamp captures the spirit of childhood wonder.  The cow’s leap is more than just a playful illustration—it is an invitation.  An invitation to believe, to dream big, and to embrace the magic of the nighttime sky.