COURT HOUSE – Anyone who has read “Goodnight Moon” to their child or grandchild knows that the classic book tells the story of a young bunny saying goodnight to the objects and creatures in a green-walled bedroom, drifting gradually to sleep as the lights dim and the moon glows in a big picture window. The repetition and rhythmic patterns in the book are comforting to young children, intended to help them get to sleep.

Now, kids can go to bed to “Goodnight Cape May,” a new book written by Cape May native Maxwell Moran for his 4-year-old daughter, Avery.

Moran, of Court House, not only wrote the story, he also illustrated it. It can be found at several stores in Cape May and by ordering through his website, moranmadestudio.com. The book features his daughter as the main character.

“I’m not much of a writer,” Moran said, “so writing the book in a rhyming fashion was pretty challenging. I knew my daughter liked that aspect of ‘Goodnight Moon,’ which we read just about every night, and I love poetry and its cadence. Seeing Cape May through my daughter’s eyes sparked my thought processes as I wrote it.”

The story features many of the elements that draw people to Cape May, including eating ice cream, walking around the mall, collecting shells on the beach and visiting Congress Hall.

“I grew up here, but seeing Cape May through her eyes was truly inspiring,” Moran said. “We went on countless expeditions to see the beach, lighthouse, trolley and other picturesque landscapes and landmarks, and every time looking through her eyes I saw something new.

“This book was created out of my love for Avery and my hometown. I created it to spark her imagination, encourage her to be bold and not afraid to explore, and most importantly, to dream big and believe in the magic that lies within her.”

Moran, whose interest in graphic design developed during his college years, is working on another book, also inspired by his daughter.

“Avery has started to notice skin tones,” Moran, 34, said about his daughter, who attends a local preschool. “So I am working on a book about the colors of friendship.”

He currently works full time as a graphic designer and as a freelance artist, creating digital art, paintings, wood carvings and custom sneaker art for clients.

Contact the author, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.