5 Favorite Bedtime Books

Author: Essie 08:38, 04 April 2013 877 0 0


5 Favorite Bedtime Books
Night Flight for the Little Red Train by Benedict Blathwayt

The Little Red Train is flying along the track at a tremendous speed: Duffy MUST get passengers and post to Scotland by sunrise. Suddenly he spots something vital missing from the front of the engine. So he embarks on an amazing feat of daring to keep the Little Red Train on track. Packed with the wonderful detail that fans have grown to love, and with a marvelously heroic escapade from Duffy.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss's work is quite simply bursting with invention, and his unique view of the world – of strange creatures with strange names doing utterly strange things – is both surprising and wonderful. In this first outing for the eponymous Cat, he attempts – with varying success – to have fun while the children's mother is out. The chaos escalates to near total destruction, but is luckily remedied before adults and normality returns. 

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon is a short poem of goodnight wishes from a young rabbit preparing for--or attempting to postpone--his own slumber. He says goodnight to every object in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady whispering hush." Clement Hurd's illustrations are simple and effective, alternating between small ink drawings and wide, brightly colored views of the little rabbit's room.

Finding all of the items mentioned throughout the book within the pictures is a good bedtime activity--a reappearing little mouse is particularly annoying. By the end of the little rabbit's goodnight poem, the story has quieted to a whisper, and the drawings have darkened with nightfall. 

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

"Good night, Gorilla," says the weary watchman as he walks by the gorilla cage on his nightly rounds at the zoo. The gorilla answers by quietly pickpocketing the guard's keys, stealthily trailing him, and unlocking the cages of every animal the oblivious fellow bids goodnight to. Looking much like an exhausted father, the uniformed guard traipses home toward his cottage, while the lonely zoo animals softly parade behind him. The animals manage to slip into his bedroom and nestle unnoticed near his sleepy wife--until the bold little gorilla goes so far as to snuggle up beside her as she turns out the light. Author and illustrator Peggy Rathmann (creator of the Caldecott-winning Officer Buckle and Gloria) relies more on the nuances of her jewel-toned pictures than on words to pace this giggly bedtime story, making it perfect for observant preschoolers. 

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three- to seven-year-olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him--their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usual flourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, we always knew existed, had we only known where or how to look for it.

What bedtime stories does your little one love? 


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