Bedtime Books for Little Ones

What theme is more popular than bedtime books for little ones? Bedtime is a prime time to snuggle together and spend time reading aloud. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of picture books dedicated to bedtime, but today I’m sharing just a few.

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24 Bedtime Books for Little Ones

Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Nneka Myers

In my family, when the sun goes down, our hair goes up!
My brother slips a durag over his locs.
Sis swirls her hair in a wrap around her head.
Daddy covers his black waves with a cap.
Mama gathers her corkscrew curls in a scarf.
I always wear a bonnet over my braids, but tonight I can’t find it anywhere!

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea

Roaaaar! Roaaaar! This little dinosaur usually wins everything, and nothing can stop him—not talking grownups, spaghetti, or even bath time. But what happens when he faces the biggest challenge of all—bedtime? With a dramatic, giggle-inducing storytime text including irresistible ROAARS, little dinosaurs will be begging for this book to be read again and again!

Don’t Blink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by David Roberts

Here’s how it works: if you can avoid getting to the end of this book, you can avoid bedtime, simple as that. (It’s a pretty sweet deal, actually.) But each time you blink, you have to turn a page. Those are just the rules. So whatever you do, DON’T BLINK!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems

It’s getting dark out, but one stubborn Pigeon is NOT going to bed! Children will love this interactive bedtime romp, which puts readers back in the driver’s seat, deflecting Pigeon’s sly trickery as he tries to escape his inevitable bedtime. Will you let him stay up late?

Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Shawn Harris

A simple goodnight routine turns marvelously madcap in this cleverly rhymed picture book. Instead of settling down to sleep, Dad bakes bread, Mom fixes the roof, and Grandma plays cards with a ghost. And between the dog, the cat, Sister, and Brother, there’s at least three different wars being waged! A modern classic perfect for read-aloud fun and bedtime alike.

Goodnight Already! by Jory John

Bear is exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep.

Duck is wide awake. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear.

Will Bear ever be able to catch some ZZZ’s?

Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton

The sun is setting, and everyone in the forest is getting sleepy. The mice, rabbits, and deer all give great big yawns as they snuggle up with their families for the night. But someone isn’t sleepy just yet. Little Bear thinks he can stay awake a bit longer. Can he do it? Chris Haughton’s bold and vibrant illustrations will captivate little ones eager to stay up just a teeny bit longer, while sweet depictions of animals cozying up in their beds for the night will soon have them yawning off to a dreamland of their own.

Good Night Good Night, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight.

One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they’ll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play!

Even the roughest, toughest readers will want to turn off their engines, rest their wheels, and drift to sleep with this sweet and soothing story. Vibrant illustrations and gentle rhyming text make this construction book for kids a surefire bedtime favorite.

Good Night Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Beep! Beep! Beep! It’s time for sleep. A storm is brewing, and Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are hurrying home for bed. But who can sleep with all that racket?

It’s not long before other friends show up seeking safety from the storm. Thunder and lightning sure can be scary, but it’s easy to be brave together. When the clouds roll on and the sky is clear, it’s all aboard for a bedtime ride! Beep! Beep! Shhh . . .

The House In the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes

Inside the house are nighttime things both comforting and intriguing—a bed, many books—and outside, too, there are sources of light and joy—the moon, the sky—that reveal a reassuring order in the universe. This timeless bedtime tale takes readers through the house in the night, up into the sky, and back home again, all the while reminding us of the presence of love and wonder in our world.

I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt

Frog is excited about autumn and the coming of winter. But when Owl informs him that frogs hibernate till spring, Frog is upset at missing out on all the snowy fun. In this hysterically funny twist on the classic “I don’t want to go to bed” dilemma, Frog comes up with all kinds of reasons why he’s not going to sleep through winter, until he devises a clever way to convince his friends to come along for the ride.

If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed by Denise Vega, illustrated by Zachariah OHora

If you have a monster that won’t go to bed, don’t bother asking your parents to help. They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It’s not their fault; they’re just not good at it. Read this book instead.

It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).

Just make sure you don’t get too good at putting monsters to bed—or you might have a BIG problem on your hands!

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

It’s time for the little red chicken’s bedtime story — and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can’t help herself! Whether the tale is Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood or even Chicken Little, she jumps into the story to save its hapless characters. Now it’s the little red chicken’s turn to tell a story, but will her yawning papa make it to the end without his own kind of interrupting?

It Is Not Time for Sleeping by Lisa Graff, illustrated by Lauren Castillo

As the day comes to an end, bedtime draws near. But the little boy in this book is quite sure it is not time for sleeping.

As each piece of his evening routine is completed—helping with the dishes, playing with the dog, getting into pajamas, brushing teeth with Dad, being tucked in by Mom, and listening to a story—he becomes a little more certain: it is definitely not time for sleeping. The question is, when will it be time for sleeping?

A rhythmic, cumulative text and lush twilit scenes come together to create a perfect bedtime book that will be treasured for generations to come.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

In this infectious rhyming book, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama! Tucked into bed by his mama, Baby Llama immediately starts worrying when she goes downstairs, and his soft whimpers turn to hollers when she doesn’t come right back. But just in time, Mama returns to set things right. Children will relate to Baby Llama’s need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama’s reassuring message.

Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan

It’s evening in the forest and Little Owl wakes up from his day-long sleep to watch his friends enjoying the night. Hedgehog sniffs for mushrooms, Skunk nibbles at berries, Frog croaks, and Cricket sings. A full moon rises and Little Owl can’t understand why anyone would want to miss it. Could the daytime be nearly as wonderful? Mama Owl begins to describe it to him, but as the sun comes up, Little Owl falls fast asleep.

Nature’s Lullaby Fills the Night by Dee Leone, illustrated by Bali Engel

Shh—listen. Can you hear the quiet, loving sounds of the nighttime world? From moths fluttering their powdery wings, to a nightingale’s sweet trills, to swaying willow trees softly shushing, shushing everyone to sleep, this rhythmic, rhyming lullaby will soothe and calm little ones. The tender, nature-filled bedtime scenes sweep across land, sky, and sea, with animal parents everywhere tucking in their children. A final scene featuring a mother and her baby brings the whole story back home.

Noisy Night by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Brian Biggs

It’s a noisy night in this city building! The residents of each floor can hear their neighbors above them, and are wondering what’s going on above their heads. Climb floor by floor and page by page to find out whose singing, dancing, cheering, and cooing are keeping a grumpy old man awake.

Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues by James Dean, illustrated by Kimberly Dean

Pete the Cat and his friends are having so much fun playing and surfing in the sun, they don’t want the day to end. Pete has an idea—how about a sleepover? Groovy!

As the night gets later, it’s time for bed. This cool cat needs to catch some ZZZs, but Pete’s friends aren’t ready to go to sleep just yet. Then Pete has another idea—a bedtime story! But will it work?

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

In this magical bedtime story, the lyrical narrative echoes a Runaway Bunny – like cadence: “Does everything in the world go to sleep?” the little girl asks. In sincere and imaginative dialogue between a not-at-all sleepy child and understanding parents, the little girl decides “in a cocoon of sheets, a nest of blankets,” she is ready to sleep, warm and strong, just like a tiger.

Sleepyheads by Sandra J. Howatt, illustrated by Joyce Wan

The sun has set, and sleepyheads all across the land are tucked into their cozy beds.
Rabbit is snoozing in the weeds, and Duck is snuggled in the reeds.
Bear is nestled in his cave, and Otter is rocking on a wave.
But there’s one little sleepyhead who’s not in his bed.
Where, oh where, could he be?

Sloth Wasn’t Sleepy by Kate Messner, illustrated by Valentina Toro

A tough day, a bad dream, a scary noise … these are just a few of the things that can keep kids wide awake and frightened after dark. But Mama Sloth knows the secrets for calming worried minds and getting to sleep―and as she shares them with her daughter, young readers will learn valuable relaxation skills that last a lifetime.

Twilight Chant by Holly Thompson, illustrated by Jen Betton

As day slips softly into night, sharp eyes catch glimpses of the special creatures who are active at dusk.

Lyrical text and lush art capture the richness and life of this magical time in a sumptuous picture book that will inspire budding naturalists and anyone who has ever chased a lightning bug at twilight.