 Itsy
Mitsy Runs Away
by Elanna Allen
Ages 3–7
Itsy Mitsy has had it with
bedtime, and sets off in her footed pajamas in search
of the perfect place where there are no bedtimes ever.
Dad helps out by suggesting things that Mitsy can’t
do without, beginning with her stuffed dinosaur and
the contents of the refrigerator until she has packed
her entire house, yard and all. This very funny book
will become a bedtime favorite. |
|
 There’s
a Princess in the Palace
by Zoe Alley, R.W. Alley
Ages 4–8
The tongue-in-cheek retellings
of five fairy tales emphasize clever dialog over beauty
and romance. The characters in the tales are connected — Cinderella’s
daughter becomes Sleeping Beauty who is not quite ready
for marriage and runs off to live with the dwarves as
Snow White. Her daughter in turn falls for The Frog Prince,
and her granddaughter is the Princess who tries to sleep
on the uncomfortable pea buried under layers of mattresses.
Two mice provide running commentary in this lavishly
illustrated oversized graphic novel, sure to become a
bedtime favorite. |
|
 A
Bedtime for Bear
by Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald
Denton
Ages 4–8
When Bear’s exuberant friend
Mouse comes to spend the night, Bear finds being
a host difficult to say the least. Bear needs absolute
quiet in order to fall to sleep, and Mouse is anything
but quiet. But when scary sounds are heard in the
middle of the night, Bear realizes that having
a friend is more important than having things exactly
his own way. Charming watercolor illustrations
highlight the dry humor of the text and characterizations. |
|
 Hide-and-Squeak
by Heather Vogel Frederick, C.F. Payne
Ages 3–6
A mouse baby starts a wild game of
hide-and-squeak with his father in order to put off bedtime
as long as possible. His willing father eventually manages
to curb his son’s rollicking energy and sweeps him off to bed.
Warm and detailed drawings complement the rhyming text. |
|
 Bedtime
for Bear
by Brett Helquist
Ages 2–6
Just as Bear is settling in
for a long winter nap, two rowdy raccoon friends beg
him to come out and play. Bear tries to put them off,
but eventually gives in and the three have a marvelous
time playing in the snow. Finally even the rambunctious
raccoons are ready for sleep. The humor and details
in this winter romp make it a perfect read-aloud any
time of the year. |
|
 Princess
Says Goodnight
by Naomi Howland, David Small
Ages 4–8
In this joyful bedtime story,
a small girl imagines herself a princess and transforms
her ordinary modern family life into royalty living in
a castle. Rhyming text and enchanting watercolor illustrations
add to the fun as the nighttime routine ends with the
one thing every little girl, whether princess or not,
needs before sleep—a kiss good-night. |
| |
|
|
 Even
Monsters Need Haircuts
by Matthew McElligott
Ages 4–8
Just before midnight on the night
of the full moon, our young hero sneaks out to his father’s
barbershop to give haircuts to his monster customers.
The wide variety of monsters patiently wait their turns
as the young barber deals with each monster’s individual
hair requirements. This delightful book is sure to become
a bedtime favorite. |
|
 A
Book of Sleep
by Il Sung Na
Ages 1–5
When the sky grows dark, everyone
goes to sleep except the watchful owl, who travels on
a moonlit journey while observing the other animals settle
into sleep. This beautifully illustrated bedtime book
is destined to become a classic. |
|
 If
Animals Kissed Good Night
by Ann Whitford Paul
Ages 3–6
Wonderfully silly presentation
of animal parents and children kissing good night complete
with nonsense sounds is sure to become a bedtime ritual. |
|
 Mr.
Elephanter
by Lark Pien
Ages 5–8
Each morning the cheerful Mr.
Elephanter goes to work at the Elephantery where is
cares for three tiny elephanties. Mr. Elephanter’s
love for his small charges is evident in every gentle
watercolor illustration, presenting a quietly humorous
story of loving attention, perfect for soothing youngsters
off to sleep. |
|
 The
Night Night Book
by Marianne Richmond
Ages 1–5
This quietly charming bedtime
board book revisits the highlights of a busy day, wishing “night
night” to each one. Comforting mixed media collages
accompany the calming verses, a perfect pairing for
winding down the day. |
|
 Dinosaur
vs. Bedtime
by Bob Shea
Ages 2–6
The little red dinosaur is fearless
and invincible in his bouts against everyday obstacles
like a bowl or spaghetti or talking grown-ups until he
meets his nemesis—bedtime. |
|
 Interrupting
Chicken
by David Ezra Stein
Ages 4–8
Though constantly reminded by
her father not to interrupt the bedtime story, the irrepressible
little chicken can’t help interrupting the stories in
order to save the characters from certain doom. After
derailing three of her father’s stories, the little chicken
takes over the story telling herself, only to be interrupted
in his own way by her very sleepy father. The funny illustrations
vary in style to suit the story in this hilarious book. |
|
 The
House in the Night
by Susan Marie Swanson, Beth
Krommes
Ages 3–6
Caldecott Medal
2009
Beth Krommes’s magical illustrations
amplify the minimal text to highlight the things in a house that
really matter: books, art, music, and love. This bedtime book
will be treasured by children and adults alike. |
|
 The
Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
by Jennifer Trafton, Brett Helquist
Ages 9–12
One night 10-year-old Persimmony
Smudge becomes lost in the woods and overhears a plot
to steal the king’s gold buried under the castle on
the top of Mount Majestic. When Persimmony tells spoiled
12-year-old King Lucas about the intended theft, she
learns that the gold is in the form of a belt buckle
asleep under the small island they live on, the Island
at the Center of Everything. In fact, the mountain
is actually the belly of the sleeping giant. Persimmony
and her friend Worvil the Worrier race to convince
the island's inhabitants that the giant is real and
may wake up at any moment. This humorous and fascinating
tale would make a perfect bedtime read-aloud. |
|
 The
Loud Book!
by Deborah Underwood, Renata Liwska
Ages 4–8
The menagerie from The
Quiet Book is back, this time with lots of LOUDS!
Written in all caps and illustrated in brighter colors
than its predecessor, this playful exploration of crashes,
music, the sounds various objects make when they are
dropped, and other sound effects will be equally popular
bedtime reading. |
|
 Switching
on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems
collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew
Fusek Peters, G. Brian Karas
Ages Birth–5
This collection of 60 poems
celebrates the universality of bedtime. Dreamy
mixed-media illustrations by G. Brian Karas accompany
the verses ranging from masters like Alfred, Lord
Tennyson and Sylvia Plath to contemporary poets
like Lee Bennett Hopkins and Children’s Poet Laureate
Mary Ann Hoberman. |
| |
|
