In 2004, it was announced that Joel had agreed to write two children's books for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher.

"Reassuring children that they are not alone or could be abandoned is very important for their well-being," Joel said in a statement in 2004.

[3] He changed his mind upon hearing the recording, and incorporated it into the song "River of Dreams".

He later removed the interlude from the final studio version of "River of Dreams", and instead wrote lyrics to the melody that reflected his sentiment toward Alexa Ray, who was a young child at the time of writing.

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report described "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" as a "sweet and tender ballad that is bound to touch the hearts of all who hear it.