Stories For Bedtime
Ranked #5,402 in Books, Poetry & Writing, #197,755 overall
Best Bedtime Stories for Kids
Reading a good bedtime book to your child is one of the greatest parts of parenting.
Bedtime rituals help children to sleep well at night, and reading to your child can also help foster a lifetime love of reading and improve their vocabulary.
But sometimes it can be hard to find stories for bedtime.
Here are some of my recommendations for bedtime stories for kids.
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Time For Bed
by Mem Fox
Voted Best Bedtime Story by 2 small children who had it memorized, line by line, for many many years.
Time For Bed
by Mem Fox
Time for Bed is a childrens picture book full of very large colourful pictures of animals putting their babies to bed. Beautiful watercolour cats, sheep, mice, cows, deer and other animals that take up the entire page. The words of the book are simple and rhyme with only one sentence per double page.
One page of a Cow and her calf and reads
"It's time for bed little calf little calf, what happened today that made you laugh"
Time for Bed by Mem Fox is a gentle read for bedtime.
Time for Bed (Big Book Edition)
Amazon Price: $9.05 (as of 06/03/2012)
This is my all time favourite book for bedtime reading. Mem Fox is an award winning Australian author who has written many wonderful childrens books. When I bought this book I had no idea who Mem Fox was, the book just seemed like it would be good to read to my daughter before bed.
Time for Bed became a bedtime ritual for both of my daughters. I had the entire book memorized after just a few weeks readings. I wish I had bought the board book because when I started reading to my children they were very young and wanted to see all of the pictures. They would frequently turn the page before I was ready or grab it so that they could look at the page longer before I turned it. As a consequence the book has some large rips which we patched with tape.
I bought the Time for Bed board book for my best friends newborn daughter and I hope they enjoy the bedtime story reading ritual as much as I did.
Of all of the stories for bedtime that we read, this is our favourite.
Time for Bed by Mem Fox is a must have for every family who reads to their children at night.
Was reading aloud part of your bedtime ritual?
More Mem Fox Books
Favourite Mem Fox Stories for Bedtime
Creating Bedtime Rituals
Reading aloud to your child at night is a wonderful ritual that your child will remember for the rest of her life.
Where The Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
I love this book but I have heard a few people say that they found it scary as a child. For me this book is about escaping into your imagination and I was always a bit jealous of Max. I wanted a wold suit too. Where the Wild Things Are is another childrens picture book that is big on pictures and short on words. The book invites you to read slowly and take a good look at the drawings as some of the pages don't have any words.
Take your time reading this book, and remember there is nothing wrong with reading several books. You don't have to read just one.
Where the Wild Things Are 50th Anniversary Edition (rpkg)
Amazon Price: $9.86 (as of 06/03/2012)
Where the Wild Things Are is a classic childrens picture book that was published in 1963. It won the Caldecott medal and has recently been turned into a movie. If your child scares easily, read this book one morning first and see if she enjoys it. I have never found any reason to be scared by it and my daughters weren't scared either.
Is Where The Wild Things Are too scary for a bedtime book?
Scary or Not?
I love Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It's one of my all time favourite read-alouds.
Where The Wild Things Are
Book, DVD, Interviews and Wild Stuff
More Maurice Sendak
If you love Where The Wild Things Are try reading these
Bedtime Rituals
What makes a good bedtime ritual?
How about ...
Bath
Bed
Book
Kiss
Good Night Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight Moon
Amazon Price: $4.34 (as of 06/03/2012)
Good Night Moon Animation
Narrated by Susan Sarandon
Good Night Bedtime Reading
More Kids Bedtime Stories
Bedtime is the perfect time for a chat
Before you begin your story time at bed, why not ask you son or daughter about his or her day?
This is great chance to have one on one time.
Don't pressure, make sure there is no arguing. This is a time for listening and reassuring to help your child unload any anxieties she may have.
The end of the day is great for a cuddle and a chat.
And then,
on to story time ...
Beatrix Potter Books
Great Childrens Bedtime Stories
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was originally published in 1903 and is as enchanting to children now as it was then. All of Beatrix Potter books are just as enjoyable as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and introducing your children to these stories at a young age is great if you are looking for stories with a message without being pushy as some newer "moral" books can be.
Please make sure you buy the original Beatrix Potter versions and not recent re-tellings.
The benefit of the small books is that your child can hold the book easily ans Ms Potter intended. The larger books are great for adults to read to children at bedtime.
Don't know what to read to your child?
Why not let your child pick the story each night.
Perhaps you can each choose one and read two stories each night.
Looking for new books?
We've enjoyed all of them.
Reading aloud to your child will help develop his vocabulary.
Don't just stick to short picture books, spending time reading a chapter a night from a larger book can be beneficial to his language skills.
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reading a longer chapter book can be done with children of all ages.
If you think your child is ready, pick a longer book to read, one chapter a night, to help your child relax at bedtime.
Sometimes is just a matter of getting them to lay still long enough to fall asleep and an engaging chapter book may just do the trick.
Little House on the Praire books were a favourite of ours for both bedtime reading and throughout the day.
The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set
Amazon Price: $30.49 (as of 06/03/2012)
The set includes:
Little House in the Big Woods,
Little House on the Prairie,
Farmer Boy,
On the Banks of Plum Creek,
By the Shores of Silver Lake,
The Long Winter,
Little Town on the Prairie,
These Happy Golden Years,
and The First Four Years.
On The Night You Were Born
by Nancy Tillman
So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain, that they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
On the Night You Were Born
Amazon Price: $7.66 (as of 06/03/2012)
Your child is never too young to be read to and
don't stop reading just because your child can read.
What is your favourite read aloud?
Add your favorite read aloud to this list
3
Time for Bed (Big Book Edition) by Mem Fox
Darkness is falling everywhere and little ones are more...0 points
5
Possum Magic (Voyager Books) by Mem Fox
Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush more...0 points
6
In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection) by Maurice Sendak
1971 Caldecott Honor BookNotable Children's Books more...0 points
7
Outside Over There (Caldecott Collection) by Maurice Sendak
With Papa off to sea and Mama despondent, Ida must more...0 points
8
Alligators All Around (The Nutshell Library) by Maurice Sendak
'An alligator jamboree, with all the letters ' A through more...0 points
9
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
In the forty years since Max first cried "Let more...0 points
10
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
They were howling in the moonlight - enormous, and more...0 points
11
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little more...0 points
12
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter) by Beatrix Potter
2002 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the best-loved more...0 points
It's ok to read the same book over and over and over.
If your child likes it then go ahead and read it.
Chances are you will be bored of it before your child is.
One of the Creepiest Stories for Bedtime
... but lots of people love it
I have to say this is one of the creepiest books that I have received.
But, I may be the only one who thinks this way.
This book was given to me as a gift by a friend, and I thought the title sounded lovely. I began reading the book and thought how sweet it was, and then, as I got toward the end, it started to get creepy.
My daughters think the book is funny, and there are times that I threaten them with doing what this mother does at the end of the book.
Amazon reviewers think the book is pretty good, giving it 4 stars.
Other reviews:
No one can read this without the tears falling. -- Sharon Owen, Madera Tribune 05/08/2003
A humorous, sentimental page-turner that rarely - let's say never -- leaves a reader with a dry eye. -- Gayle MacDonald, Globe and Mail 12/01/2005
Now I tear up pretty easily, and reading this book I didn't come close to shedding a tear.
So what book is this?
Love You Forever
A Creepy Bedtime Story
Love You Forever
A creepy bedtime story
Why is it creepy?
Love You Forever begins with a mother rocking her child to sleep saying
"I'll love you forever I'll love you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."
That's sweet.
The book continues as the child grows and the mother always rocks him to sleep saying
"I'll love you forever I'll love you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."
Yep, still sweet.
But then, the child grows into an adult and the mother drives across town, breaks into her sons house, and as an older woman is shown rocking her adult son saying
"I'll love you forever I'll love you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."
Now that's just creepy! And boy is he a heavy sleeper!
My kids think it's funny, and I'm sure it's meant to be.
The end of the book shows the roles being reversed and the son is rocking the mother.
Ok, sweet again.
So what do you think? Creepy?
I wonder if she re-arranges the furniture before she leaves?
Love You Forever
Amazon Price: $1.77 (as of 06/03/2012)
I Love You Forever is a creepy bedtime story
I'd love to hear your thoughts on reading aloud
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CruiseReady Jun 26, 2011 @ 6:47 am | delete
- I always read to mine ... and not just at bedtime, but other times too. Started the day she came home from the hospital.
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jptanabe
May 8, 2010 @ 5:12 pm | delete
- Reading aloud at bedtime is the best! My father read to me and I read to my daughter. And yes, reading the same book over and over is definitely what the kids want, and yes the parent tires of it long before the child!
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wolftyrs
May 7, 2010 @ 6:57 pm | delete
- What a lovely lens. I started reading to my oldest before she was born. I need to add some new ones to our library, to replace some old friends we've worn out, and see some lovely suggestions here. Favoriting this so I can find my way back.
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All About SeeGreen
Quick Links - Want to go back to something fast?
- Time For Bed
- Time For Bed
- Was reading aloud part of your bedtime ritual?
- More Mem Fox Books
- Creating Bedtime Rituals
- Where The Wild Things Are
- Is Where The Wild Things Are too scary for a bedtime book?
- Where The Wild Things Are
- More Maurice Sendak
- Bedtime Rituals
- Good Night Moon
- Good Night Moon Animation
- Good Night Bedtime Reading
- Bedtime is the perfect time for a chat
- Beatrix Potter Books
- Looking for new books?
- Little House on the Prairie
- On The Night You Were Born
- What is your favourite read aloud?
- One of the Creepiest Stories for Bedtime
- Love You Forever
- Love You Forever
- I Love You Forever is a creepy bedtime story
- I'd love to hear your thoughts on reading aloud
- All About SeeGreen
by seegreen
Hi, I'm Samantha, mother of 2 and an avid reader, scrapbooker, traveler, and animal lover.
One of the things I glad I did when my children were younger...
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