The Best Bedtime Books for Young Children

Having a bedtime reading ritual for children is a great way to spend time together and get them relaxed and ready to go to sleep. My kids have bedtime favorites that we've been reading for years, and the routine is comforting for them and special for me. These books are fun to read together, have rhythmic text that preschoolers will love, colorful pictures that toddlers will enjoy, and stories you'll enjoy reading again and again.

Goodnight Moon
This book is a classic that has lulled generations of preschoolers to sleep. This rhythmic story of a little bunny who says goodnight to everything in his room, including the moon outside his window is a favorite of young children everywhere. One of the best things about this book is that the illustrations alternate from black and white to color on every other page. The black and white drawings are perfect for babies, helping their little eyes focus, and the colors are great for toddlers, adding brightness and interest to the pages. If your kids are like mine, this bedtime book may be a bedtime ritual for years to come.

Pajama Time
Sandra Boynton is one of my kids' favorite authors, and her catchy text can be read in rhythm or even sung, which my children just love. Pajama Time follows Boynton's famous animal characters as the moon comes up and they wear all kind of pajamas, from stripes and polka dots to fuzzy and even ugly. The fun climaxes with a pajama dance before hopping into bed for a party in your dreams. Preschoolers will be delighted with the fun storyline and text, as well as the colorful and silly pictures in this bedtime book.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
The whole series of Dinosaurs books has delighted my boys for years, but this one is perfect bedtime reading for young children. Kids will laugh in recognition as dinosaurs first try every trick in the book to avoid bedtime. But in the end, these sweet dinosaurs give goodnight kisses and turn out the light, just like good little dinosaurs should. The illustrations in these books are so much fun, blending fancifully-illustrated dinosaurs with human homes, moms, and dads. For extra fun with your preschooler, look for the dinosaur's scientific name hidden in each picture. All of the dinosaurs drawn really are a specific species, which makes for extra educational value as well.

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
Mo Willems is one of the best authors of this generation, and if you don't yet own any of his books, run right out and get this one for your preschooler. The pigeon is Willem's most famous character, and just like young children, he'll do anything to stay up late and avoid his bedtime. My toddler "reads" these books to himself over and over again, as the illustrations are just as vivid as the story itself. One of the most fun things of the Pigeon series is that kids have the opportunity to say "no" to the pigeon on every page, which is lots of fun. Follow this pigeon on his bedtime adventure and see if you can keep him from staying up too late.

The Going To Bed Book
Boynton's lovable animal characters appear once again in this sweet, rhythmic bedtime story. The twist? They're getting ready for bed on a cruise ship. Preschoolers will recognize the routine of getting a bath, putting on their PJs, and brushing their teeth; my kids love to act out these parts as I read. This story winds down well to the end, when the animals on the ship "rock, and rock, and rock to sleep." I love to hold my babies on my lap and rock them back and forth at the end of this story, getting them ready for bed.

I Love You, Stinky Face
This story is equal parts silly and sweet as a little boy asks his mama if she'll still love him, even if he turns into all sorts of outlandish creatures, from an alien to a one-eyed monster. Preschoolers will love this bedtime story with silly characters and illustrations, and you'll love the sweet answers his mama has, as she proclaims her love no matter what the situation. This is a sweet bedtime story with repetition that toddlers will love to read again and again, and you'll love the snuggle time as you tell your child just how much you love him.

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