When daylight savings begins again, it’s always an adjustment for families with youngsters. This event begins on March 11 in most parts of the country. The evening light can make going to bed difficult. But I have collected some great nighttime books to help soothe the soul and quiet the mind of children ages three through seven, unless otherwise indicated.
Folk Stories and Tall Tales, by Claire Cock-Starkey and perfectly illustrated to reflect North American images by Anna Goldhawk, is full of quick and interesting stories that will enthrall and enliven young imaginations at bedtime. Each story takes up only two pages and is divided into six sections: Origin Stories, Animal Stories, Nature Stories, Tricksters, Folk Heroes and Tall Tails. Included in this outstanding compilation of stories are Native American tales from different tribes, African American tales, and tales from regions like the Catskills Mountains. There’s even a ribbon attached to hold your place.
Dinosnores, by Sandra Boynton, is an oversized board book perfectly suited for reading with your toddler on your lap. This rhyming tale is short, delightful, and funny. The dinosaurs go through their nightly bedtime routine. However, they do have one slight problem and you can likely guess from the book title. The illustrations are bright and carry on Boynton’s wonderful trademark. Check out her other newest perfect bedtime board books, also for toddlers: Pajama Time! and Jungle Night.
Go-Go Guys, by Rowboat Watkins, is a hilarious and bright comic-style adventure which takes on an aura of the absurd but in a fun way. Three Go-Go Guys are beeping in rhythm and rhyme all the way to the moon and beyond. Onomatopoeias are found throughout and perfect for youngsters having difficulty settling down for bed.
Ancient Night, by David Alvarez and gorgeously illustrated with muted colors against the black backdrop of night on every open page by David Bowles, recently won Publishers Weekly Best of the Year, BookPage Best of the year, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard, Evanston Library Best of the Year and Horn Book 2023 Summer Reading List. The story is a twist on two Mesoamerican fables. Rabbit continually fills the moon with special aguamiel or nectar. But Opossum desires this delectable nectar and pierces the moon to gather this liquid. After feeling regret, Opossum brings about the birth of the sun. The harmony of color and text is symbiotic to the majesty of the theme.
Ruffles and the Cozy, Cozy Bed, by David Melling, is the perfect story for toddlers. The simple text is repetitive and easily demonstrates the directions of sentences if the reader points to the words while reading. The bright illustrations, made with pencil and colored digitally, are also simple making this a perfect bedtime story with few distractions on each page. This story about this cute dog is part of a series about Ruffles.
B is for Bananas, by Carrie Tillotson and richly illustrated packed with humor using Procreate and Photoshop by Estrela Lourenco, was originally titled “B is for Bedtime” but with “Bedtime” scratched out. It’s soon obvious that Banana does NOT desire for this book to be about bed as he states I don’t want to go to bed. The interaction between Banana and the narrator continues throughout the book and is absolutely comedic. Here is a book that all ages will most likely laugh out loud! And the kicker is that Banana finally wears himself out, so bed is inevitable.
Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight, by Melissa Stewart and beautifully illustrated using watercolor and water-soluble colored pencils by Jessica Lanan, is a gorgeous book visually as well as informative about the moon’s importance to life on earth. Each open page displays a stunning scene and a different animal that depends on the moonlight. You can find more depth about these animals at the back of the book.
The Knight Snacker, by Valeria Wicker, has a very hungry and young knight turning down his mother’s new recipe without her knowledge. The clever and wonderful illustrations done digitally showcases this cute little knight with much humor! When his hunger takes over in the middle of the night, due to his empty stomach, he is ready to attempt all challenges as he deals with scary monsters in the dark before reaching the kitchen. The story and the animated young knight make for a perfect bedtime story that will be begged to be reread again and again. Be sure to check out the end-pages.
